Radiotherapy Unit on schedule

West Tyrone MLA Michaela Boyle attended a briefing in Stormont with the Western Health Trust in relation to the new Radiotherapy unit in Altnagelvin. This discussion was hosted by Sinn Féin MLA Maeve McLaughlin and gave the Trust an opportunity to give a presentation to elected representatives on their project. Altanagelvin hospitals new Radiotherapy unit is due to open in 2016 and will increase Radiotherapy capacity in the north of Ireland. This unique cross border project will be a hospital within a hospital, providing treatments to people with cancer both north and south. It will provide more locally accessible and timely services and improve travelling for thousands of people for generations to come.

Speaking after the Health Trusts briefing Ms. Boyle said, “Today’s discussion was extremely reassuring and positive and is great news for the people of the North West of Ireland. We have heard some distressing stories of the plight of cancer sufferers from right across the North West. We have had people from Derry, Donegal and Strabane telling about the impact of having to travel hundreds of miles for 5 minutes of treatment .The impact it had on them physically, emotionally and financially and the hardships it placed on families was horrendous. The Western Trust informed us today that radiotherapy in many cases is often overlooked when compared to surgery or chemotherapy. This is a shocking discovery considering that it is the most cost effective method of treating cancer and 40% of cancer patients in the north have been cured through radiotherapy treatment. In addition, adding radiotherapy to other treatments improves 5 year survival by 16%. In terms of workforce planning for the new unit the Western Trust informed us that key staff disciplines have been identified to be trained and recruited with some being placed in the Belfast Cancer Centre for further training and development. This will ensure that a competent and experienced workforce will be available for the opening of the new unit in 2016. The provision of the Radiotherapy Unit at Altnagelvin has been a strategic priority and central campaign issue of Sinn Féin's over many years and now that plans for the essential facility for people in this region of Ireland are underway we will be working to ensure that the scheduled completion date stays on track. This new facility will make a dramatic impact on the lives of cancer sufferers as it will mean that the vast majority of patients will be able to receive radiotherapy treatment within one hour travelling distance of their homes.”