Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Question 223: To ask the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the policy to transfer care and treatment services for oesophageal and stomach cancers from the Centre of Excellence at University Hospital Galway to Dublin; his views that any such transfer will be to the detriment of citizens in the West of Ireland and will not be in keeping with the successful policy of establishing regional centres of excellence. [33961/12]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The Strategy for Cancer Control in Ireland 2006, recommended that all major cancers, including oesophageal and stomach cancers be treated in designated centres, where patients are managed by multidisciplinary teams in accordance with the best standards of cancer diagnosis, treatment and care.

The HSE's National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP) recently undertook a Quality Review of Oesophageal Cancer Surgery in the period 2008 - 2010. The outcome of the Review was that the overall quality of Oesophageal /Upper Gastrointestinal Cancer Surgery in Ireland in the four designated centres is within an internationally acceptable range for quality of the procedures, morbidity, mortality and post-operative complications, compatible with the volumes of patients treated in each centre.

In assessing the situation the NCCP was mindful that evidence in international publications indicates that long term outcomes have been demonstrated to be significantly better in high volume centres. This necessitates that the NCCP ensures that it harnesses the strengths of the entire national team of experts in coordinating services and monitoring quality in Ireland. Following the review it has been decided that St. James's Hospital will be designated the National Centre for oesophageal and gastric cancer. Professor John Reynolds at St James's Hospital has also been appointed as Clinical Lead for Upper Gastrointestinal Cancer. University Hospital Galway, together with Beaumont Hospital and Cork University Hospital will be designated as the three satellite centres for oesophageal and gastric cancer care including radical surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy.

Services in all centres will be closely monitored against Key Performance Indicators in order to ensure optimum outcomes.