Donegal Sinn Féin -- Building an Ireland of Equals

Regional Cancer Care Service Needed for North West

Published: 30 June, 2006


Sinn Féin Cllr Pearse Doherty has welcomed the announcement that a permanent Breast Surgeon has been appointed to Letterkenny. However, he said that a dedicated regional cancer care service in the North West is the only way to address services in Donegal.


Cllr Doherty said:

"Sinn Féin in Donegal and Derry has been calling for a dedicated regional cancer care service in the North West. It is now official Sinn Féin policy at local and national level. The appointment of a permanent Breast surgeon is good news but does not go far enough, in reality the difference is the position has now been made permanent rather than on a temporary basis. We are also disappointed that there appears to be no arrangement to tie down the arrangement for joint provision of symptomatic breast services in the region between Letterkenny and Altnagelvin Hospitals.


"There is no doubt that the massive attendance in support of enhanced cancer care services in Donegal have helped bring about today's announcement and we commend the great work carried out by Donegal Action for Cancer Care (DACC). Sinn Féin as an All Ireland party will exert pressure on both the British and Irish Governments on the basis of our electoral mandates to deliver enhanced cancer care services to the North West Region.

"The decision to allocate additional capacity in Galway to serve cancer patients from the Donegal in its current context will make little material difference to patients who presently have to travel to Dublin. After all what is the difference for people in remote areas of Donegal having to make a four-hour journey to Dublin and making a similar one to Galway? What is required is a Regional Cancer Unit or satellite radiotherapy unit to serve the needs of patients in the North West counties.


"People in Donegal continue to be treated as second class citizens. To ask someone to travel to Galway when there are two hospitals in Altnagelvin and Letterkenny en route that could house an Oncology Unit is totally unacceptable. While I appreciate that the Galway option does offer some type of alternative, this should not deflect from the huge demand to establish a regional cancer unit in this region."