FINE GAEL TD Ulick Burke has said the Government’s cancer strategy is in “disarray” and cancer patients across the west have been “betrayed”.
Mr Burke also said he believes “spin” is more important to the Government than “the lives of the people suffering from cancer and other serious illnesses”.
The Galway East TD was commenting on the recent report that management at University Hospital Galway (UHG) had informed the Health Service Executive (HSE) that they would have no choice but to withdraw from the national cancer strategy’s plan to develop eight centres of excellence if they are to implement the further financial savings demanded.
Galway University Hospitals – comprising UHG in the city and Merlin Park Hospital on the eastern outskirts – were instructed to make cutbacks of €15 million this year, from €288 million to €273 million.
Cuts of €9 million were implemented, and hospital management then informed the HSE that any further cuts would result in front-line services being seriously affected.
But management was instructed some weeks ago to find savings of €6 million between now and the end of the year.
Galway University Hospitals manager Bridget Howley warned of the risks to both patients and staff in a document leaked earlier this month. She asked the HSE to bring the matter to the attention of Prof Tom Keane, director of the National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP), because “of the devastating impact on our ability to deliver cancer services in accordance with NCCP”.
Ms Howley said the cuts would cause 60 more beds to be closed at UHG and would prevent the hospital from being a designated cancer centre, treating patients from Donegal to Limerick.
The HSE said in response that there were “absolutely no plans” to curtail cancer services in Galway, and the leaked internal letter was a “discussion paper only” which was “never agreed”. Some €2.2 million extra funding for cancer services in the west this year had been allocated.
The Save Sligo Cancer Services Group said the truth had now been exposed and the HSE was trying to “spin its way out of” the revelations.
Speaking at a recent adjournment debate on the issue in the Dáil, Mr Burke said that €15 million income drop at UHG would result in the loss of 60 beds, 126 “front-line” staff and the closure of two surgical theatres.
“This is the biggest hospital in the west and it is on the verge of pulling out of the cancer treatment scheme,” he said. “The Government’s cancer strategy is in disarray and cancer patients in Galway and across the west have been betrayed by the Government and the Minister.”
“These cutbacks will have severe human consequences and will affect the survival of cancer patients,” he said.
“While I recognise that public spending must be curtailed, why was €17 million spent on spin doctors and management consultants last year?
“There are 12 staff in the department, four special advisers involving an expenditure of approximately €500,000 and five press officers involving an expenditure of €241,000,” he said.
“The 12 staff involve an expenditure of just under €1 million. It cost €310,000 for the HSE to produce an information leaflet last year. This would provide an additional 10 nursing staff in coal-face services.”
Responding to Mr Burke, Minister of State John Moloney said he wished to reassure the deputy that the viability of UHG as a designated cancer centre would not be affected by the financial issues that the hospital was addressing.
