Radical proposals for the reorganisation of cancer services into regional and supraregional centres were criticised yesterday.
A new strategy being drawn up by the National Cancer Forum, the Government's advisory body on oncology, proposes that several smaller hospitals should lose some specialist cancer surgery services.
The plan for the greater centralisation of services was attacked last night by Independent Mayo TD, Dr Jerry Cowley. He said he disagreed with the concept that hospitals needed to treat large numbers of patients to secure the optimum outcome for patients with cancer.
"If large throughputs of patients to a central unit is the answer, then the Government should close all hospitals in the country and send patients to London for treatment," he said.
Independent TD Mr Paudge Connolly, who campaigned on the future of his local hospital in Monaghan, said he accepted that highly specialist cancer units could not be dotted around the country and should be based at national level.
However, he said there were many cancers that could be dealt with in regional and general hospitals.
Fine Gael said the strong criticism of the structure of cancer services in Ireland, made by the National Cancer Forum, was an indictment of Government cancer policy.
The party added that the report showed where a person lived not only affected how they lived but also how long they lived.
The discussion document drawn up by the National Cancer Forum last month and revealed in The Irish Times yesterday said the arrangement for the delivery of cancer care in Ireland did not accord with best practice.
