Call for cancer travel funding

THE Irish Cancer Society gave a broad welcome to the shake-up of cancer services, but called for a commitment from the health authorities to provide free transport for patients forced to travel further for treatment.

Society chief executive John McCormack also called for guarantees that money would be provided to properly fund the changes.

“The people of Ireland have been let down badly on cancer care because of failure to organise them and invest in them properly,” he said.

“We are now turning a new page but it’s crucial that the Department of Finance really see that this is the way forward and support the funding that is going to be needed.”

Fine Gael said the plan was undermined by a lack of a clear timeframe for its implementation.

“The HSE’s statement does not explain how or when the cancer centres will be operational or how much the plan will cost,” said the party’s health spokesman, Dr James Reilly.

The Campaign to Save St Luke’s Hospital, which is opposed to the transfer of the country’s biggest radiotherapy centre to St James’s Hospital campus in Dublin, said the insistence on eight all-encompassing centres did not make sense which some existing facilities were working to the highest standards.

“There are huge cancer treatment waiting lists and here is a hospital functioning perfectly with land available for expansion,” said spokesman Rory Hearne.