TD and Minister of State Joe McHugh has welcomed the commitment to the expansion of health services in the North West during a tour of Altnagelvin Hospital today.
McHugh met Donegal health care leaders working at the new radiotherapy centre at the Derry hospital.
Health Ministers Simon Harris and Michelle O’Neill joined cancer care campaigners, Minister McHugh and Senator Padraig Mac Lochlainn during a tour of the new multi-million euro facility.
Clinical staff from all over the North West – including Donegal and Leitrim are now delivering care to Donegal patients at the centre.
Radiotherapy team leader Anne-Marie Lynch, from Ballybofey is among the staff.
She said her commute to work is similar to her colleagues travelling from parts of County Derry.
“I want to pay tribute to all those who campaigned for this centre over many years and who can now see the end result,” said Minister McHugh.
“There are nursing staff from Gaoth Dobhair and others parts of Donegal now working at the radiotherapy centre at Altnagelvin and that is an important part of the care being delivered.
“Patients from Donegal are getting a first class service from highly-trained professionals using equipment which is world-class.”
Minister McHugh spoke with Minister Harris at today’s tour about enhancing services in Letterkenny University Hospital as well as more cross-Border services where appropriate.
Minister Harris later told a reception that the co-operation on services was a “two-way street” with future services in Donegal available to patients from the North.
“This is an important commitment from health ministers on both sides of the Border,” added McHugh.
“Delivery of first class health care to the people of Donegal remains a priority for all of us.”
Background
The new Radiotherapy Unit at Altnagelvin Area Hospital has been in planning for many years. Construction has been completed recently; the new Unit was opened on 28 November 2016, and has been officially named the North West Cancer Centre at Altnagelvin. The Unit will provide access to radiotherapy services to people in the North West of Ireland, including patients from the Republic of Ireland.
The Centre aims to cater for a population of approx. 0.5 million, including approximately 110,000 people from the Republic of Ireland (mainly Donegal). The North West Cancer Centre is connected to the existing Sperrin Suite at Altnagelvin, which provides oncology /haematology services to patients in the north west of Northern Ireland.
Patients from the Republic of Ireland will generally only require radiotherapy services in Altnagelvin, as they will continue to have their diagnosis, surgery, chemotherapy and other treatment in either Letterkenny University Hospital (LUH) or Galway University Hospital. Chemotherapy will be provided in Altnagelvin for a small number of patients who have combined chemotherapy and radiation therapy as their first treatment.
About 10% of Republic of Ireland patients will continue to receive more specialist treatment in Galway or Dublin (a similar proportion of Northern Ireland patients will receive their treatment in Belfast).
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