Cancer care ‘has private bias’ in south-east

THE Government is to come under unprecedented pressure to deliver radiotherapy for public as well as private patients at a new hospital which Taoiseach Bertie Ahern opens in Waterford next week.

Mr Ahern will officially open the e40 million, private Whitfield Clinic on the edge of Waterford city on Monday.

However, despite a commitment by Transport Minister Martin Cullen that all patients would be treated there, irrespective of their means, no service agreement has yet been reached with the HSE which would allow public patients to be treated there.