Cancer care crisis - The buck stops with the Tánaiste

IT is utterly unacceptable for Health Minister Mary Harney to attempt to pass the buck following the impassioned plea to her by a cancer specialist to improve the quality and safety of cancer care in the southern region.

Dr Seamus O’Reilly, the sole remaining consultant medical oncologist in the former Southern Health Board area, who single-handedly caters for a population of 500,000 people, has written to the minister to express his deep concern over the chronic cancer problems which are occurring in his region on her watch.

While a copy of the letter was also sent to Professor Brendan Drumm of the Health Service Executive, it is not good enough for Ms Harney to do a Pontius Pilate by saying this matter was one for the newly formed HSE.

Tragically, the sheer frustration and anger reflected in Dr O’Reilly’s heartfelt accounts of suffering among cancer patients across the region is echoed in countless homes up and down the country.

So exasperated have medical experts grown over the Department of Health’s failure to address the cancer crisis that three specialists have resigned in the southern region this year.

The stark reality is that dying cancer patients are being left in pain in their homes because there is no room for them in hospitals.

A dangerous situation has arisen because of the inadequacy of vitally needed computer systems.

Staff shortages have resulted in a three-week waiting list for curative cancer therapy.

Furthermore, due to the failure to roll out the BreastCheck scheme in the south, there is a higher than normal need for breast cancer treatment in the region.

In contrast with the scenario depicted by Dr O’Reilly, cancer facilities are heavily concentrated in and around Dublin.

Effectively, the eastern region has more than four times the number of cancer specialists compared with the rest of the country.

On a pro rata basis, the east has three times the financial allocation of the southern region which is the next highest nationally.

Admittedly, the greatest population density (36%) is concentrated in and around the capital.

But when the figures are compared, the gross imbalance reflected in Dr O’Reilly’s plea becomes more apparent.

With a population of 1.4 million, the eastern region can call on the services of 18 cancer specialists.

In contrast, there are four cancer specialists in the southern region to serve 580,356 or 15% of Ireland’s population.

In Dr O’Reilly’s specialist area, there are 11 medical oncologists in the east compared to only one in the south.

Such discrepancies cannot be justified. By any standard, the skewed allocation of personnel and resources to cancer treatment is utterly disproportionate.

It is disingenuous of Ms Harney to refer the grave issues outlined in Dr O’Reilly’s statement to the HSE.

As Minister for Health she is accountable for the shortcomings of the health service and must therefore accept ultimate responsibility for the chronic state of cancer services across the country.

As the responsible minister, the buck stops on the Tánaiste’s desk.