West and Northwest have highest incidence of cancer and mortality rates

Deputy Marian Harkin TD told the newly appointed Minister of State at the Department of Health, Colm Burke TD, that the highest incidence of cancer and mortality rates are in the West and Northwest of Ireland. 

The Deputy said that the National Cancer Strategy has not been properly funded for three out of the last five years, and the results are plain to be seen. 

“When it comes to survival rates Ireland is around mid-table in the EU 27 and when it comes to western EU Member States, we have the third worst mortality rate,” she said. 

“According to Professor Michael Kerin, the director of the Saolta Cancer Network based in Galway, the highest incidence of cancer and the highest mortality rates from cancer are in the West and Northwest,” Ms Harkin explained. 

“Minister, Ireland is performing poorly in relation to many western European countries and the region I represent is at the bottom of the ranking in Ireland.

“The National Cancer Strategy has Galway as the centre of a cancer network encompassing Sligo University Hospital, Letterkenny University Hospital, Castlebar and Portiuncula. 

“Some progress has been made, a project lead has been appointed this week but there are glaring resource and infrastructural problems. For instance, in Galway, cancer patients are competing with patients in the emergency department for bed space, this is not acceptable.

“This summer the Organisation of European Cancer Institutes is visiting Galway, Sligo and Letterkenny Hospitals to accredit these hospitals as part of the comprehensive cancer service for the West and Northwest. 

“In order to ensure the delivery of a world class cancer service in the region we need to make every possible effort to adequately fund these services immediately to attract and retain the specialised staff that we need to run those services. 

“We need to increase the number of beds dedicated to cancer patients and ensure multi-disciplinary teams to deliver the most accurate diagnosis and the most appropriate treatment at a location as close as possible to where the patient lives,” Ms Harkin concluded.