MAY 2006

Anger at lack of Derry - Donegal Cancer Service

Donegal's Action for Cancer Care (DACC) group stated that while talks are ongoing between the Republic Health Services Executive (HSE) and officials from Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry about the sharing of cancer services there has been no progress so far. The group also points out that despite cross-border communications at ministerial level nothing is happening.

In March 2000 Professor Niall O'Higgins of the National Cancer Forum published a report on development of services for breast cancer. He recommended that Letterkenny General Hospital forms a partnership with Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry, forming a 'virtual unit'. Links between the two hospitals are already established, but these need to be formalised and such moves need to be supported at the highest political level, said Professor O'Higgins.

The concerns of DACC seem to be well founded and serious doubts remain over the ability of politicians and the health services to provide the sort of cooperation need to deliver cross border services.

DACC have stated that they were also disappointed at last summer's reorganisation of the country's radiation oncology services which stated that agreement has been reached for Donegal patients to attend the new cancer unit in Belfast City hospital. Concern has been expressed that the solution has not been thought out and there are doubts whether Belfast would have the capacity to take patients from Donegal, and with Belfast 150 miles from some parts of Donegal, cancer patients will be facing a journey no shorter than the one to Dublin or Galway. The attendance of Donegal patients in Belfast is seen as only an interim measure while plans for a shared satellite centre in the north west which will be linked to a major centre, which is most likely to be Belfast but could also be Dublin or Galway.

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