Radiotherapy - The Truth Begins to Emerge
Issued : Sunday 14 January, 2007
In July 2005 Health Minister Mary Harney launched her cancer treatment plan. This was to spend millions on 36 Centres by 2007. An interim plan would locate 4 major radiotherapy centres; 2 in Dublin and one each in Cork and Galway. Later we were told that satellite radiotherapy centres would be based in Limerick and Waterford. More recently, we unearthed the information that Donegal patients would be shunted to Belfast. Despite strong local demands no details could be got concerning Sligo General Hospital or cancer patients in its catchment area.
Now a "strictly confidential" leaked document outlining a briefing from the H.S.E's December Board Meeting shows that these plans are in total disarray. In it, the Director of the project says that the H.S.E. was not informed by Ms. Harney prior to her announcement that the project was to be delivered by Public Private Partnership, and not directly by her department. As a result, no ground work has been done and so the time-table has slipped to at least 2014. Even her interim plan to increase capacity in Dublin would not meet its deadline.
Where all this bungling will leave Sligo-North Leitrim one can only guess - probably by-passed once more!
To quote Labour's Health Spokesperson, Liz McManus "The Radiotherapy plan was designed to alleviate the distress of those who are extremely sick. Tragically it has fallen victim to Mary Harney's unfortunate habit of announcing grandiose plans without adequate consultation, advance planning or any idea of what the final cost will be".
The Irish Cancer Society's Chief Executive Mr. John McCormack, is quoted as saying that waiting times were already too long for Radiotherapy. He said men could be waiting 15 weeks for a first appointment after they were diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Liz McManus has described Mary Harney's cancer treatment plan as "a total shambles". For the North-West in general and Sligo/North Leitrim in particular this Radiotherapy plan is a disaster.
Cllr 
