Hospital management hopeful over cancer unit deal

MANAGEMENT at Waterford Regional Hospital (WRH) say they are very open to a public private partnership (PPP) deal at the hospital which would see long-awaited radiotherapy facilities developed there.

Tánaiste and Health Minister Mary Harney is expected to make an announcement shortly that a 100-bed unit proposed by senior medics at the hospital is to get the green light.

Under the PPP deal proposed by the WRH medics, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and surgery would all be available at the hospital.

Dr Rob Landers heads up the group at the hospital bidding to develop a 100-bed private wing on the site. He is very hopeful there will be very good news for Waterford within the next fortnight.

“The minister assured us she could not make any specific promise but that she is leading a national policy on the delivery of radiotherapy which will incorporate some PPPs and that the people of Waterford would be catered for,” he added.

Hospital manager Patricia O’Sullivan said they were anxiously awaiting full details of the PPP deal. She said a dedicated oncology ward remained a top priority at the hospital.

“We would be delighted if it were addressed under the PPP proposal,” she said.

A new wing would greatly cut the waiting time for private beds at the unit, she added. The hospital has 85 private beds out of 464. “That additional capacity would add significantly to the capacity of the hospital. We have a policy of not having overnights on trolleys in our A&E department,” said Dr O’Sullivan.

While the Whitfield Clinic being developed by a private group just minutes away from WRH will provide a world-class radiotherapy service, campaigners say the public hospital is the best place for such a critical element of cancer care.

The people behind Whitfield, meanwhile, say they will be up and running from April of next year and say it is critical that public as well as private patients are seen there.