The HSE has confirmed that plans are progressing to develop Ambulatory Cancer Facilities at Letterkenny University Hospital and other Model 3 hospitals within the West and North West region, while Galway remains the regional Model 4 Cancer Centre.
Following recent revelations that treatment start time targets are not being met in Letterkenny, the hospital has established a working group to improve chemotherapy start times.
Cancer survivor Roseena Doherty is protesting outside the hospital today, highlighting the lack of action on promises which have been made.
Expressing frustration at what she described as the lack of support she’s been receiving from public representatives, Ms Doherty told Michaela Clarke on today’s Nine til Noon Show that there’s a lot of talk, but very little action….…….
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HSE statement in full –
The National Cancer Strategy 2017 – 2026 and the National Development Plan 2021 – 2030 (NDP) are committed to major capital investment in cancer infrastructure nationally with investment in quality infrastructure in the West North West region specifically called out in the National Development Plan: ‘in accordance with balanced regional development, a cancer care network for the Saolta region (West, Northwest) with a Cancer Centre at Galway University Hospital, with appropriate infrastructure will be delivered’.
The cancer centre infrastructure requirement at Galway University Hospital (GUH) is progressing as part of the Model 4 hospital site development.
The HSE West North West vision for cancer infrastructure in each of the model 3 hospitals is to develop appropriate Ambulatory Cancer Facilities (ACF) at Letterkenny University Hospital, (LUH), Mayo University Hospital, (MUH), Portiuncula University Hospital (PUH) and Sligo University Hospital (SUH) in line with the NDP.
In terms of Systemic Anti-Cancer Treatment (SACT), activity in all of our units are challenged due to increased demand , increase in demand is multifactorial other than the predicted doubling of cancer incidence, including:
- new drugs increasingly approved for use
- development of immunotherapy and cellular therapies ( CAR-T) and associated complexities
- Increased tolerability of new drugs meaning patients with comorbidities can now be treated but are more complex to treat
- With the development of more modern drugs, treatment cycles now last longer and often indefinitely
- Increased duration and complexity of infusion times
- Increased survival rates due to more effective treatments leading to increased requirement for more lines of subsequent treatment when cancer returns or progresses
- Patient survival has improved, but this is associated with significant increase in demand for cancer services in general and cancer treatments, particularly the Day Wards.
In order to address these challenges as effectively and as timely as possible LUH have established a working group comprised of the members of the Cancer MCAN management team and hospital clinical and management teams and have commenced measures to improve chemotherapy start times with the objective of returning performance to KPI targets within the shortest possible timeline.
This includes the high risk cancer patients who are commencing the SACT therapy on an inpatient basis.
LUH has an area within the inpatient ward which has been designated as a Day Unit extension where patients can have their SACT treatment and will provide some immediate improvement in SACT start times.
