Opposition expresses horror at crisis in cancer care

OPPOSITION parties have called for the Tánaiste to personally respond to a letter from a hospital consultant in the south which they said “shows a health system out of control”.

Fine Gael, Labour and the Green Party have all described the letter’s contents, published in yesterday’s Irish Examiner, as “unacceptable” and expressed horror at the Department of Health’s lack of investment in southern cancer services.

The Irish Nurses Organisation (INO) said that they “fully supported” hospital consultant Dr Séamus O’Reilly, and confirmed that large numbers of oncology nurses were choosing to leave the south as they didn’t feel there was any local management support for their work.

They said they intended writing to the Tánaiste immediately about the letter.

The letter was also sent to Health Service Executive chief executive Professor Brendan Drumm.

In his letter, Dr O’Reilly highlighted that dying patients have been left in wards with patients recovering from alcohol intoxication and that dying patients have been forced to go to other hospitals as they can’t access beds at Cork University Hospital (CUH).

He also said that under- funding meant cancer care was “suboptimal” at Cork’s acute hospitals.

Labour party spokeswoman on health Liz McManus said the letter demonstrated an urgent need for additional consultants and that an audit should be set up to establish the needs of hospitals in the area.

“The Tánaiste and her colleagues indulged in an orgy of self-congratulation last weekend over the way in which they claim that the Progressive Democrats have transformed the economy over the past 20 years.

“What is the point in having a first class economy, if cancer patients continue to have to face shocking conditions?” she said.

Green party spokesman on health John Gormley said: “Unless the bed capacity problem is dealt with as a matter of urgency, cancer patients will continue to die in pain at home, because they cannot access a hospital bed.”

Patsy Doyle, INO industrial relations officer in the HSE Southern Area, said: “The Department of Health have a case to answer and we will be writing to the department on the matter. It is very sad that it came to this and we believe an investigation is needed.”

The HSE Southern Area said yesterday that a meeting has been arranged with the director of cancer services in the Southern Area to discuss the further development of cancer services.

“All issues that have been raised by Dr O’Reilly are under discussion with CUH hospital management or the regional network manager.

“A locum consultant medical oncologist was appointed in July to fill the vacant position and to support Dr O’Reilly,” they said, adding that the new cancer strategy was due to be launched next month.