Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 43: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the elements of the cancer control programme which remain to be implemented; the categories of staff which are needed in the eight designated centres to comply with the standards required; if they will be in place in accordance with the implementation plan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26310/09]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP) was established by the Health Service Executive (HSE) in 2007 to implement the recommendations contained in the National Cancer Control Strategy. Considerable progress has since been made in the reorganisation of cancer services and particularly in relation to the transfer of breast cancer diagnosis and surgery into the eight hospitals designated as cancer centres by the HSE.

The reorganisation of breast cancer services, which has been the highest priority for the Cancer Programme, is almost complete with services remaining to be transferred from only three hospitals - Tallaght, Sligo and the South Infirmary. The service at both Sligo and Tallaght will transfer this summer while the transfer from the South Infirmary to Cork University Hospital (CUH) is expected to take place later in 2009 on completion of a €5m refurbishment project at CUH.

The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) initiated a quality review of symptomatic breast cancer services in 2008 to assess the performance of the designated cancer centres against the National Quality Standards for Symptomatic Breast Disease Services. In January 2009, HIQA issued individual interim reports to each of the designated centres, providing them with details of the standards that are being met and of where gaps exist. Significant progress has been made by all of the designated cancer centres in addressing the gaps in systems and services. The individual hospitals have prepared implementation plans in conjunction with the NCCP, which are now being implemented and monitored by the NCCP with the allocation of appropriate staff and resources to these hospitals. A further inspection and assessment by HIQA is planned for the end of 2009, and these reports will be published. The NCCP has at all times stated that it only transfers services when it is satisfied that adequate resources are in place.

Priorities in 2009 in relation to other site-specific cancers include services for prostate, lung, rectal and pancreatic cancers, brain tumours and head and neck reconstructive surgery and the development of community oncology. Additional development funding of €15m was allocated to the NCCP for all of these initiatives, along with 100 new posts.

Recent achievements include the opening of two Rapid Access Diagnostic Clinics for Prostate Cancer at St. James's Hospital, Dublin and at University Hospital Galway in June 2009, the first of eight such clinics. Rapid Access clinics are also to be established for lung cancer. A single national programme for the management of brain tumours and other central nervous system tumours is being created on two sites - Beaumont and Cork University Hospital - and funding has been allocated this year to recruit a neuro-oncology trained neurosurgeon to lead this programme. St Vincent's University Hospital will become the national centre for pancreatic cancer surgery by the end of 2009. A single centre is also to be established for reconstructive surgery for head and neck cancer while the number of hospitals performing rectal cancer surgery is to be reduced.

The NCCP has also developed a separate Community Oncology office which is working closely with the Irish College of General Practitioners to train and educate GPs in oncology and also to enhance nursing capability in oncology care within communities and primary care teams. Early diagnosis and appropriate referral is critical to improving cancer care, so the successful development of this programme is a key strategic initiative.

The implementation of all of these initiatives represents significant progress towards the goal of improving our cancer services and, ultimately, outcomes for cancer patients.