Specialist cancer-care services at Galway University Hospital are to be retained despite recommendations that they should be withdrawn and transferred to Dublin.
The National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP ) committee - which was tasked with identifying two locations in the State for the continued development of oesophageal and stomach cancer services - was seriously considering a proposal to withdraw services from Galway and Cork in order to locate both centres of specialist care to St James’ and Beaumont hospitals in Dublin.
However, Fine Gael TD Brian Walsh, who held an urgent meeting with the Minister for Health Dr James Reilly recently to discuss the issue, said that efforts to safeguard the services in Galway had been successful.
“I was approached by consultants in Galway a number of weeks ago, who expressed their concern that plans for the relocation of the service to Dublin were at an advanced stage.”
Any move that would force patients to travel to Dublin for investigation and treatment would be a “drastically retrograde” step, said the Galway deputy.
“It would damage the prospect of successful treatment for many of the 225 people who develop stomach or oesophageal cancer in the western region each year.”
Deputy Walsh said that, following his meetings with Minister Reilly, he had been provided with assurances that Galway would be maintained as one of the centres for the provision of specialist cancer-care services.
“We have an exceptional facility in Galway, staffed by some of the foremost specialists in their fields.
“They have worked hard to establish a centre of excellence with modest resources, and it is vital that we safeguard that progress.”
About 100 patients in the west develop oesophageal cancer each year while a further 125 develop stomach cancer. Around 40 per cent of these patients present early enough for treatment to be successful.
