06.26.06
Cancer treatment
Story in today’s IT
Report highlights cancer case figures
A number of hospitals across the State are carrying out only one breast cancer operation each year, figures provided by the Department of Health to its advisory body on cancer care suggest.
The data drawn up by the Hospital In-Patient Enquiry (HIPE) system for 2003 reveal that four hospitals – Mallow general, Cavan general, Louth county and Navan – carried out only one breast cancer surgical procedure.
However, it said this disguised the fact that 17 per cent of patients were operated on by consultants who carried out fewer than 30 operations per year. The department’s figures maintained that 60 per cent of consultants dealt with fewer than 10 cases annually.
Senior department sources said this weekend that the figures backed up claims by Minister for Health Mary Harney at the launch of the new strategy earlier this month that the number of hospitals carrying out cancer treatment was excessive. The new Government strategy has recommended a centralised approach to cancer care.
It has proposed that treatment should be provided at eight centres across the State in four regional networks that would each serve a population of about one million people.
The HSE is to decide which hospitals should retain cancer services. It is also to appoint a national director to oversee implementation of the strategy.
The chief executive of the HSE, Prof Brendan Drumm, acknowledged at the launch of the strategy that there would be resistance to its recommendations. However, he said it was the responsibility of clinicians across the country to start accepting that they had to operate systems which were evidence-based and focused totally on the quality of outcomes for patients.”
 So here is what this means:
They will try and bring in centralisation of cancer care. This is a good thing. If you get cancer, who do you want to deal with? A doctor who has done 1 operation that year or a doctor who sees dozens of cases just like your’s and does similar operations therefore gaining good experience and improving his own skill. However, the public, doctors with big egoes and no common sense and bandwagon jumping public representatives will oppose this strategy tooth and nail. It’ll be the whole emotional “having to travel 100 miles for chemotherapy” argument. I’ll travel anywhere if its to the best doctor. I wish people would see this.
Daniel K. said,
June 26, 2006 at 4:53 pm
Actually, what is stranger still is that no one is currently suggesting that the state provide or source some good quality accommodation which would allow people to have some privacy adjacent to or at least local to the treatment centres so people won’t be forced to decide between B&Bs and long travel.
Frank C said,
June 26, 2006 at 7:08 pm
Yes, I remember hearing a woman complain on radio that it was ‘inconvenient for her family’ that she had to travel 100 miles for chemotherapy and other treatment. The consultant being interviewed asked in response how inconvenient it would be for her family if she was dead ?
A blunt response, but probably a realistic one. Not everyone can have a treatment centre on their doorstep.
graham said,
June 27, 2006 at 2:34 pm
I’ve been saying this to people for a long time. Yes, it’s added hassle to have to travel 100km or more to have chemotherapy, but wouldn’t everyone want to have the most experienced doctor treating them? I would and I would travel to where ever I had to go to get that kind of experience. I just don’t understand how this isn’t obvious to the general public!