Cancer patient refused specialist pain treatment due to cutbacks

A man who survived cancer three times in the last decade has been told he can no longer receive specialist pain treatment at a major hospital due to HSE and Department of Health cutbacks.

Thomas Keaveney, aged 40, from Lifford in Co Donegal, revealed the situation in a letter sent to Health Minister Dr James Reilly and seen by the Irish Examiner.

The father-of-two was first diagnosed with seminoma/testicular cancer at Letterkenny General Hospital in 2001 before being referred to St Vincent’s University Hospital in Dublin for specialist care.