All breast cancer surgery is being transferred with immediate effect from South Tipperary General Hospital in Clonmel to Waterford Regional Hospital, the Health Service Executive confirmed yesterday.
The move is part of the initial stages of the implementation of the State's new national cancer control plan to centralise cancer surgery in eight designated cancer centres across the State over the next two years. Four of these designated centres are in Dublin while the others are in Limerick, Cork, Galway and Waterford.
Already breast cancer surgery at the Midland Regional Hospital in Mullingar has been transferred to Dublin's Mater hospital. This development was announced in November and at that time the HSE said it had full confidence in the breast cancer service being provided in Clonmel as weekly multidisciplinary team meetings were taking place in relation to the breast cancer patients being treated there.
However, it is still pressing ahead with its overall plan to transfer cancer surgery to designated cancer centres.
The HSE said only 40 patients had breast cancer surgery at the Clonmel hospital last year. Their surgeon has already moved to Waterford.
It stressed that while all breast cancer surgery now carried out in Clonmel will be transferred to Waterford, a consultant-led breast care clinic and breast care nurse specialist services will continue in Clonmel. Chemotherapy services will also continue to be delivered on a day care basis in Clonmel.
Richie Dooley, the local hospital network manager, said the changes were in the best interests of patients.
"In line with the national strategy on breast cancer treatment, this move has the full support of cancer care clinicians, as it aims to ensure the best possible outcome for patients.
"Serving the south-east region, a team of expert professionals in the field of breast surgery are now housed on one campus at Waterford Regional Hospital," he added.
Breda Kavanagh, general manager of the Clonmel hospital, said all other surgery will continue as normal in Clonmel. But South Tipperary Fine Gael TD Tom Hayes expressed anger at the news.
He said he supported centres of excellence but they were not in place yet, and therefore extra services should not be transferred to them.
"This is just taking away the services to the unknown really because the centres of excellence are not in place yet," he said.
"No service should be taken away until a better services is in place," he added.
"This is just another diminution in services in the area and its a hidden cut by the present administration. I'm annoyed that this is allowed happen," he continued.