Sligo patients not sent to designated cancer centres

GPs in the catchment area of Sligo General Hospital will disregard notices from the Health Service Executive to send cancer patients to one of the eight designated centres, local GPs' representative Dr Frank Hayes said today.

Members of the County Sligo General Practitioners Society will continue to send patients to Sligo and say they have full confidence in the cancer services at the hospital.

Lobby group Save Sligo Cancer Services argue patients in the region do not have equal access to the centres and are being discriminated against on the basis of geography.

They are to stage a picket at the National Cancer Conference in Dublin on Monday to highlight the issue.