Cancer patients face follow-up care costs

Doctors have warned that the HSE’s failure to fund a follow-up care plan for women treated for breast cancer will mean patients bearing the costs.

The Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) says it will be unable to accept patients under the national cancer care programme (NCCP) without an appropriate contract and resource transfer.

“The HSE is failing to fund or invest in cancer care services in general practice, thereby passing all costs onto patients including medical card patients,” said the IMO’s GP committee chairman, Dr Ray Walley.

NCCP community oncology adviser Dr Marie Laffoy defended the follow- up plan for women with a history of breast cancer. She said it was aimed at those who had completed their treatment, were well, and had no recurrence of the disease after five years.

She said it involved women receiving an annual mammogram and a check- up carried out by their GP.

She said the examination had been successfully conducted in some GP centres over a number of years and did not believe it was a resource issue.

Dr Laffoy of the Irish College of General Practitioners said: “This is about the minding of well women. If secondary care services are needed, they will be provided by the hospital. It also keeps people out of hospital and preserves very valuable hospital slots for those who really need to be there.”