Give commitment on cancer centre: Durkan

Thus says Foyle MP who has called on Health Minister Michael McGimpsey to give a “copper-fastened commitment” that the new cancer centre at Altnagelvin Hospital will get the go ahead regardless of the inevitable squeeze on other capital projects.

Last week the Sentinel reportedtheMinister’s reiteration of his Department’s cautionary note that a business case for the centre would have to be approved before it would be given a green light.

It was hoped the satellite centre would be operational by 2015 when cancer services in Belfast are set to reach capacity.

Now Mr Durkan is asking for a firm commitment on the Londonderry facility.

He said: “It is vitally important that it is fully understood by everyone that the new cancer centre at Altnagelvin Hospital is for the whole of the North - not just the regional significance of this for the North West.

“During the previous Executive we made a large investment in the cancer centre at Belfast City Hospital, which is now an international centre of excellence which people in the North West can access. However, this facility will be at capacity by 2015.

“The Southern government has already underlined how critical they view this new centre in Derry – which will also cover Donegal patients – by making a financial commitment to fund it.

“Departments are going to be under pressure on their budgets. What is going on at the minute is that Michael McGimpsey is throwing up a question mark over this so that everyone rightly gets behind his department’s bid.

“But he needs to keep his focus on the fact that this is an absolutely compelling priority as part of the Regional Cancer Strategy. There should be no games played with this. There should be no question marks over this.

“Even with everything else that is going on in the Republic, the Irish government’s commitment remains. But we can’t take that for granted because there is always the possibility of pressures and changes there.

“There will also be pressures after Treasury cuts in this month’s Comprehensive Spending Review. Indeed, there will be more cuts next year and the year after that.

“In meetings I have had with the Pink Ladies and others I have explained that there are challenges ahead but that we must keeping up the fight for the new cancer centre.

“At no point are we going to be able to rest on a single commitment. We are going to have to consistently get commitments renewed and restated.”