Ireland ‘bottom of the pile’ for urology services

IRELAND has just 24 consultant urologists while Finland, which has a similar-sized population, has six times that number.

A former Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) president, Mr Hugh Bredin expressed concern that “male specialities are being neglected by the HSE”.

Urology focuses on treating the urinary tracts of males and females as well as the reproductive system of males.

Urologists treat prostate cancer, bladder and kidney cancer among other illnesses. While two-thirds of their patients are men, they also treat women and children.

Mr Bredin admitted hospital consultants just can’t provide the service needed.

According to 2005 figures, Ireland has 24 urology specialists while Finland has 156. In Austria, whose population twice that of Ireland, there are 460 urologists.

Galway-based urologist Mr Bredin said yesterday Irish patients were not getting fair treatment.

“Internationally, we’re at the bottom of the pile. The service is very stretched and stressed. It’s a very unsatisfactory situation and completely unacceptable,” he said.

“Services for areas like breast cancer, while very important, have been hugely invested in but we are growing concerned that male specialities are being neglected by the HSE. This lack of investment is putting people at risk”.

Mr Bredin said many patients are waiting months, if not years, for urology treatment. The solution for many is the National Treatment Purchase Fund where public patients are treated privately here or in Britain — with the bill going to the HSE.

“Ideally, a patient should be treated by their own consultant at a local hospital and not sent away when — manpower issues aside — the operation could be conducted in the public sector,” he added.

A HSE spokesperson said while there were only 24 urologists working in the country, 29 posts have been approved by the HSE and they are actively trying to fill any vacant posts.