Campaigners criticise lack of cancer plan

Treatment centres: Campaigners for cancer treatment in the northwest say it is "clear there is no real plan for cancer treatment in the region".

They have expressed concern that the Northern Irish health authorities have not formally agreed to plans announced by the Minister for Health, Mary Harney.

Last week Ms Harney said that as part of a €400 million plan for a network of radiotherapy treatment centres, the northwest would not get a centre. Patients from the region would "hopefully" be able to get treatment in Belfast from next year, she said. Negotiations with the Northern Irish department of health on the idea had yet to take place.

A spokesman for the Northern Irish minister for health, Shaun Woodward, said in response: "It is very premature to discuss the provision of radiotherapy services for people from Donegal in Belfast City Hospital. These are very early days, and officials are only beginning to explore these suggestions."

Independent TD, Dr Jerry Cowley, said it was clear there was "no plan at all for the northwest", while Dr Kevin Moran, regional director for cancer care in the northwest said there was an element of "fudge" to the Minister's announcement. Dr Cowley described as "an utter disgrace" the lack of firm arrangements for the northwest.

"For some reason the northwest has just not been able to push this agenda in the way the south east has. To my mind the northwest has a stronger case for a satellite clinic, given the bigger distances to Dublin."

Dr Moran, who met the Minister with the Donegal Action for Cancer Care, said last week he was "still very concerned" at the lack of a definitive plan for cancer care in the region.

There was a problem with the model of care that had been adopted for Ireland which was "suited to centres of dense population". For Donegal, models being used in New Zealand and Canada - for more scattered population - were more suitable, he said. "So there are major difficulties for the northwest and an element of fudge on the issue."

However, he praised the attention the Minister was giving their concerns. "She has worked very hard on this," he said. "There is no easy solution and she is open to solutions."

A spokesman for Ms Harney said it was "untrue" to say there was no plan for the northwest. Political contact had been made between Ms Harney and Mr Woodward on treating Donegal cancer patients in Belfast. "The details have to be worked out now at an official level. The centre opens in March and that gives us a time focus."