PPP deal to pave way for cancer treatment

TÁNAISTE and Health Minister Mary Harney is expected to confirm next week that a public private partnership deal to provide radiotherapy is to get the green light at Waterford Regional Hospital (WRH).

Ms Harney arrives in Waterford tomorrow for seven official ceremonies in the region. But before her official commitments begin, she has requested a meeting with Waterford’s mayor Seamus Ryan and the radiotherapy committee’s chairman Dick Roche.

While no official announcement about radiotherapy at WRH is expected tomorrow, informed sources within the minister’s department indicate that there will be good news for Waterford as early as next week.

When she took office, the Tánaiste promised radiotherapy campaigners she would meet with the mayor and a representative of the radiotherapy committee when she next visited Waterford.

The mayor will tell the health minister that while radiotherapy in a private wing at WRH would be welcome, the campaign will continue for public radiotherapy.

“We feel the best interests of cancer patients in Waterford and the wider South East area will best be served by public radiotherapy and that is the message we will be delivering on Friday morning,” said Mr Ryan.

That message was fully endorsed by a cross-party group of City Council members who were briefed on Monday on the planned meeting with the minister.

Meanwhile, two companies are now known to be competing to secure a contract to develop an 85-bed private hospital wing and radiotherapy unit at Waterford Regional Hospital.

Harlequin Healthcare, who proposed a private hospital at Kilbarry, and Barrington’s Medical Centre Ltd, who were refused permission on appeal to build a private hospital in Ferrybank, say they will both tender for the contract for the private wing at the regional hospital if it is approved.

Harlequin Healthcare chief executive officer Joe Kelly told the Irish Examiner last month that it had put plans to build a 40-bed hospital at Kilbarry on hold pending the minister’s decision on the proposal by the medical board at WRH.

Meanwhile, the chairman of the hospital’s medical board, Dr Rob Landers, has expressed confidence that the minister will sanction the development this month.

About 3,000 people develop cancer in the South-East each year.