Cancer care campaigners hail ‘positive' meeting with Health Minister in Donegal: 'She recognised our unique situation'
Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill was in Co Donegal on Thursday as she visited the site of the new Letterkenny Community Hospital and Letterkenny University Hospital's Emergency Department and the Haematology/Oncology ward which has been newly restructured to enhance patient care and experience.
She also visited the Errigal Chronic Disease Management Hub, where she was given an update on the Care Virtual Ward programme.
During the visit, she met with cancer care campaigners Betty Homes, Noelle Duddy, Mary Orr and Roseena Doherty Toner.
The cancer campaigners highlighted the need for increased cancer care services in Donegal to prevent patients having to travel hours to other hospitals such as Dublin or Galway for treatment.
During the meeting, campaigners were told that the Minister is in support of a plan to increase services in Letterkenny which include the creation of an ambulatory care unit.
It is believed that this unit will house cancer services.
After meeting with the campaigners, Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said she is aware of the need for improved services and added she understands that cancer patients in Donegal have experiences on a 'deeper level.'
'I thank the groups for coming and describing their personal journeys and the journeys of so many other people who live with cancer.
'I really recognise and understand that Donegal has experienced that at a deeper level to many other counties for lots of different reasons.
"I have always been aware of the depths of feeling in relation to cancer care services, the need for better services, the distances that people have to travel and how to provide better care.
'I have been listening to the HSE and hospital management on different plans for building on the expansion that is there in relation to cancer services and in relation to haematology services.
"They have done some really good work over the last number of weeks to change work practices and to improve services, for example, people are getting their chemotherapy at a much earlier stage.
'There is good work being done and I believe that the HSE and team locally here are developing plans to come to the HSE about certain expansions that will make a very significant difference,' said Minister Carroll MacNeill.
Campaigner and cancer survivor Roseena Toner, who has held three protests at the gates of the hospital, presented the Minister of Health with a petition signed by over 1,000 people supporting her call for a specialised cancer care unit at LUH.
Speaking following the meeting, Ms Toner said the Minister is aware of the situation in Donegal and it was a 'positive meeting.'
'We are happy with the outcome of today but we have to see what comes down the track.
'There is a plan for an expansion of the hospital and an ambulatory care unit and that is where the cancer services will be housed.
"The plans have to go through three or four steps before they get to her.
"Unfortunately, as we are learning, everything within the HSE is a process and not something that will happen overnight but if we keep our foot on it and keeping pushing it on, we do feel we will get there.
"It will be a few years,' said Ms Toner.
Chairperson of Donegal Action for Cancer Care (DACC) Betty Holmes said it was important to meet with the new Health Minister and highlight the ongoing issues affecting cancer patients in Donegal.
Ms Holmes, armed with a map detailing the locations of various healthcare services in the country, said the geographical isolation of Donegal is one of the biggest issues affecting patients.
'The map very clearly states that Donegal is not in the equation.
"There are so many key issues that affect Letterkenny University Hospital and as far as I am concerned, it is 17 years ago since I said the health services are being gradually removed from Letterkenny Hospital and I have seen nothing that would convince me otherwise,' said Ms Holmes.
Ms Holmes said there is excellence at Letterkenny University Hospital but this fact often gets lost as there is a lot of work that needs to be done.
"We need to be looking at Ambulatory Centre, the surgical hubs and the key issues that affect patients because patients can no longer travel up and down that road to Galway.
'It has to stop.
'This is our foot in the door and we hope to continue meeting with the Minister, Saolta, HSE and the National Cancer Control Programme.
"We are not prepared to let our hospital and the key services collapse,' said Ms Holmes.
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