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JULY 2005
'Donegal on the back burner again'
Following the announcement that cancer treatment services will
be available in Belfast to patients from Donegal by next year, local
campaigners for improved cancer services in the north west have
suggested that Donegal has been 'put on the back burner once again'.
Mary Harney, An Tánaiste and Minster for Health, indicated
in an announcement, that those in need of treatment for cancer will
be able to use the resources at Belfast City Hospital from next
year. She also rejected claims that the northwest is being excluded
from cancer treatment services.
Members of the Donegal Action for Cancer Care, who will travel
to meet the Minister today, (Wednesday, 27th July) include John
Day, Bríd Gillespie and Lynn McDevitt as well as the North
West's Regional Director of Cancer Services, Mr, Kevin Moran and
Consultant Radiation Oncologist at St Luke's Hospital, Dr Ian Frazer.
The Chairperson, Noelle Duddy, who will be part of the delegation,
said the Minister's announcement was 'purely aspirational.' "From
what we can gather from the announcement there has been nothing
concrete agreed upon and even if an agreement is reached there are
so many other issues to be resolved before this could be viewed
as a solution to the problems here." The DACC Chairperson said
if these issues were resolved then there would be no problem in
sharing resources across Ireland, but she said it would have to
happen as a matter of urgency. "If this were to happen it would
have to happen next year, but they have been talking about sharing
resources since 1992 and nothing has happened. Unless somebody has
waved a magic wand I can't see how all the issues have been resolved."
The local group will meet the Minister today to press for a specialist
breast cancer unit, which they say is vital in order for Letterkenny
General Hospital to retain and develop cancer services. The group
will also seek more details from the Minister following her announcement.
"From what we have heard so far, there is nothing to suggest
that this is a real solution and we will want details from the Minister
of how these cross-border arrangements will work. At the minute
though we feel as if the whole thing is just another way of putting
the people of Donegal on the back burner once again." Said
Noelle. Those sentiments however have been dismissed by the Tániste
who said yesterday it was wrong to say that Donegal is not being
catered for in the announcement made by her during the week. She
also insisted that the announcement was 'not just an aspiration,
but a plan that would be backed up with resources.'
Noelle Duddy said in order for Letterkenny General Hospital to
retain and develop cancer services it is necessary that it be awarded
the status of a Regional Specialist Breast Unit. The Tániste
must do this immediately. "Letterkenny Hospital and the population
it serves have been left in limbo for long enough. The O'Higgins
Report on breast cancer services was published five years ago, and
still no decision has been made."
The patient based campaign group, which has set up 19 branches
across the county since the start of April says the Government must
give Letterkenny Hospital the capital funding for the infrastructure
it needs to develop cancer services in the region. Delaying the
decision is costing lives, says Noelle. "Patients continue
to have unnecessary surgery, delays in treatment, no treatment and/or
long painful journeys to Dublin or Galway." DACC believe that
Letterkenny Hospital should be designated as a Specialist Breast
Unit, in partnership with its sister hospital, sligo Regional Hospital.
The combined populations of Donegal, Sligo and Leitrim are in excess
of 221,500 people and Letterkenny alone treats at least 50 cases
of breast cancer per year.
The campaign has repeatedly expressed concern that recent reports
on hospital and radiotherapy services have minimised the problems
experienced by patients and their families with travelling and staying
for long periods away from their local areas. "Results from
a survey carried out by DACC amongst cancer patients in Donegal
"strongly" indicate that travelling, isolation, loneliness
and financial difficulties are major factors in adding to the distress
of cancer patients", says Noelle. "Many women, up to five
per year, in Donegal, are 'opting' to have a mastectomy instead
of a recommended wide excision lumpectomy with radiotherapy treatment
because they cannot travel to Dublin or Galway leaving their children
and family behind. Patients requiring palliative radiation treatment
to help alleviate their symptoms are not getting these treatments
because they are unable to travel. This is an intolerable situation
and must not be allowed to continue."
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