Minister for Health launches Saolta University Health Care Group fifth Cancer Centre Annual Report

The fifth annual report of the Saolta University Health Care Group Cancer Centre was recently launched by the Minister for Health, Simon Harris TD. The cancer programme in Saolta is the largest in the country and has been running since 2006 with a designated Cancer Centre at Galway University Hospital and multidisciplinary teams delivering treatment to thousands of cancer patients across the region.
 
Commenting Minister Harris said, “This is a substantial report that shows the multidisciplinary approach that is taken by the Saolta Group in looking after patients. I was very pleased to have had the opportunity this year to launch Ireland's new National Cancer Strategy. This is the guiding document for the next 10 years in terms of the delivery of cancer services in this country. It's about preventing people from getting cancer in the first place, it's about making sure we have early diagnosis and it's about making sure that we have optimal level of care. We have a huge body of work to do which I am looking forward to."
 
Commenting Professor Michael Kerin, Chair, Cancer Strategy Group, Saolta University Health Care Group: “The development of a patient focused, site specific cancer diagnosis and individualised treatment plan is the hallmark of modern cancer care and involves multidisciplinary teamwork and co-ordinated clinical care. Our Cancer Programme revolves around the activity of our Multidisciplinary Teams and the development of personalised treatment plan for all new cancer patients. This report and the recently published National Cancer Strategy 2017 – 2026 highlights the increasing demand and volume of cancer care in Ireland.”
 
Maurice Power, CEO Saolta University Health Care Group added “The Saolta University Health Care Group prides itself as a major cancer network and aims to develop and deliver world class services for all cancer patients across the region. This report summarises our activity and progress in 2016 across the various cancer specialties and highlights the significant achievements of the multidisciplinary team, who continue to work on the delivery of a world class cancer service for the Saolta University Health Care Group in line with the new National Cancer Strategy 2017 – 2026”.
 
Highlights of the 2016 report include:
 
·         Donegal patients are now being referred to the new Radiation Oncology Service at Altanagelvin Hospital in Derry, resulting in less patients having to travel to Galway of Dublin and reducing patient travel times immensely.
·         Enabling works are progressing well in relation to the new Radiation Oncology Build at UHG with no anticipated delays with the new state of the art Radiation Oncology Facility at GUH with handover of the new Adult Mental Health Unit (AMHU) imminent. This will free up the site for the development of the new build in 2017 with an expected roll out in 2020
·         Strong performance against national KPI’s in all three Rapid Access Services. In 2016, the NCCP carried out a review of all Rapid Access Services across the country and recognised that the Saolta Rapid Access Prostate is the best performing RAPC in the country.
·         Galway University Hospital and Mayo University Hospital have been selected by the NCCP with St James Hospital in Dublin to be part of the first phase in the national roll out of the new Medical Oncology Clinical Information System (MOCIS). We hope to be in a position to lead out nationally on this in the next few months.

A copy of the Saolta University Health Care Group 2016 Cancer Centre Annual Report is available to download here

Photo captions
Photo 1 - Prof Tim O Brien; Prof Michael Kerin; Dr John Killeen Chair of Saolta Board and Dr Pat Nash, Chief Group Clinical Director
Photo 2 - Dr Jim Browne, President NUI Galway; Maurice Power CEO Saolta and Dr John Killeen, Chair Saolta Board