Cancer patients must travel to Dublin

CANCER patients in the south of the country must travel to Dublin at their own expense to avail of highly specialised imaging equipment crucial in the management of the disease.

This is because a high-tech PET/CT scanner service is not yet available in the Health Service Executive (HSE) South despite the fact that a new purpose-built facility to house the scanner was completed at Cork University Hospital (CUH) in June last year.

A statement from the HSE said it was “advancing the commissioning process on a phased basis in tandem with the recruitment of staff”.

In May last year, Kerry-based Fine Gael TD Tom Sheahan raised the matter in a parliamentary question to Health Minister Mary Harney. Mr Sheahan asked why CUH “had not employed an operator for the PET scanner at the hospital, in view of the fact that people are having to travel to Dublin to have this scan carried out”.

In response, Gerry O’Dwyer, then hospital network manager for the HSE South, said the PET/CT project “is progressing according to project plan developed and the completion date for the building work is the end of June 2009”.

He said following completion of the building there would be an equipment installation period.

“In the interim management at the hospital have identified the essential posts required to allow the PET/CT to become operational and a business case for these posts has been submitted to the National Hospitals Office for consideration,” Mr O’Dwyer said.

However, in the continuing absence of a service in the south, patients must travel to St James’s Hospital and the Mater Hospital in Dublin with whom the HSE has service level agreements. There were a total of 108 PET scans referred to Dublin in 2008 at a total cost of €251,103.

A spokesperson for the HSE said CUH does not provide transport costs for patients travelling for PET scans. The HSE said once the PET/CT is available, “this €3.8 million piece of technology will significantly augment the delivery of cancer services in region”.

The HSE described it as “crucial in the management of cancer patients” as it allows more accurate diagnosis and staging of certain cancers, which in turn informs the types of therapy that patients will undergo”.

“In addition, PET/CT plays a role in the management of cardiology, endocrinology and neurology patients,” the HSE said.

The PET/CT at CUH is one of just two public PET scanners to secure funding for installation and commissioning in 2009.

A total of €6.5m wasapproved between CUH and St James’s Hospital.