Patients to get radiotherapy treatment in private hospitals

CANCER patients look set to get radiotherapy treatment at private hospitals and clinics while the plan to provide an expanded network of public services runs behind schedule.

Health Service Executive (HSE) chief executive Professor Brendan Drumm said the full needs of patients requiring radiotherapy would be met by 2010, despite his acknowledgement in recent weeks that the national radiotherapy plan would not be completed until 2015.

“There is a lot of capacity in the private system. All I would say is, by 2010, we should be in a position to provide for the requirements of the country.”