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Seven year wait for NW cancer unit
14.03.08
A BUNCRANA-based
councillor said he believes the cross-border
satellite radiotherapy unit for the North West will
happen but not until after 2015.
Cllr. Pádraig MacLochlainn welcomed the update but
said he saw no reason why the people of the North
West should have to wait more than seven years for
the life-saving centre. He received the information
following a written question to the North's Health
Minister Michael McGimpsey by West Tyrone MP and
MLA, Pat Doherty. Mr. Doherty had asked for the
progress report on Mr. McGimpsey's communications on
the issue with his counterpart in the Republic,
Minister Mary Harney. |
"In response, Mr.
McGimpsey said he asked service commissioners to
take forward the development of a business case for
an increase in radiotherapy provision in the six
counties that would ensure sufficient capacity to
meet demand from 2015," said Cllr. MacLochlainn.
"Initial assessment of projected cancer incidence
conducted by the department suggests that a
combination of radiotherapy services in Belfast and
a satellite radiotherapy centre in the North West
would best meet the needs of |
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people in the region
beyond 2015 and that the business case for this
would be informed by his department's ongoing
discussions with Mary Harney's department."
Cllr. MacLochlainn said while he now believed the
Departments of Health, North and South, had accepted
in principle the case for a satellite cancer centre
in the North West, it was "unacceptable" patients
would have to wait another seven years. |
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