Public cancer patients from Kilkenny and across the southeast will not be treated at the Whitfield Clinic in Waterford unless they are existing patients from April 1.The decision taken by the clinic follows months of negotiations between the clinic and the HSE whereby the clinic was attempting to negotiate a new contract from 2010.
As of January 1 this year there has been no contract in place with the HSE although the Whitfield Clinic has been pursuing such an agreement.
In a statement the clinic said it had informed the HSE on April 1, that it will no longer be able to treat new public radiotherapy patients presenting to the UPMC Whitfield Cancer Centre, Butlerstown, Co Waterford, from May 1. “Patients enrolled prior to May 1 will continue to receive care until their treatment plans are completed,” the statement read. “This decision was made after 15 months of negotiations with the HSE and the National Cancer Control Programme, and a failure to reach a new service Level Agreement for the treatment of public patients at the cancer centre, which should have been reached by the end of 2009.”
The HSE’s statement said that priority and commitment is to ensure that an appropriate, quality assured, radiotherapy service continues to be delivered to public patients in the southeast counties of Waterford, south Tipperary, Carlow, Kilkenny, and Wexford.
“That commitment extends to providing radiotherapy locally on site in the Regional Cancer Centre South East at Waterford Regional Hospital from 2014; as per the HSE’s National Cancer Control Programme for eight regional centres around the country. In the interim, a service level agreement between the HSE and Waterford Oncology Associates was put in place to provide radiotherapy treatment for public patients at the UPMC Whitfield Clinic in Waterford. While that agreement expired at the end of 2009, there were discussions between the HSE and the Whitfield Clinic earlier this year and payments by account, on agreement, continue to be made to the clinic.
“To be fair to the Whitfield Clinic, they have provided a very high standard of radiotherapy treatment to public patients, but it is very unfair to put patients in the middle of negotiations that should take place in a boardroom rather than on the public airwaves,” said Dr Rob Landers, clinical director of Waterford Regional Hospital.
“Sending a letter to the HSE on the eve of a bank holiday weekend threatening the withdrawal of services within a few weeks and expecting a reply on what is a complex matter by the following Wednesday, and going public on it, is like putting a gun to the HSE’s head. It is extremely disappointing and not the way to do business. Meanwhile the Whitfield Clinic pointed out: “We have continued to provide a service in 2010 without a contract and the failure to meet any of the agreed deadlines and continued payment issues have forced us to reluctantly take this decision.
“UPMC Whitfield Cancer Centre would like to reassure current patients that this will have no affect upon their treatment and they should continue to present at the centre as normal. Any patients or members of the public with concerns should contact the cancer centre on 051 337 444.”
