South East cancer services report launched at University Hospital Waterford
Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, John Cummins TD, Mr. John Keane, Consultant Urologist & Cancer Governance Chair, Ben O'Sullivan, CEO of University Hospital Waterford, Mr. Liam Skinner and Dr. Ciara Lyons are pictured at the launch of the University Hospital Waterford (UHW) – South East Cancer Services Report 2023 – 2024. Picture by Noel Browne
The HSE has published the 2023 - 2024 Annual Report for UHW - South East Cancer Services at University Hospital Waterford.
The launch, which took place at an event in the Elva Theatre in the HSE/RCSI Education Centre on the grounds of UHW, was opened by CEO Ben O’ Sullivan.
The Minister of State for Local Government and Planning, John Cummins TD, was also a guest at the event.
The report highlighted the continued focus on providing safe, high-quality care to patients in Waterford, Wexford, South Tipperary and Carlow/Kilkenny.
Launching the report, Consultant Urologist and Chairperson/Cancer Governance Lead at UHW, John Keane, said: “On behalf of the Cancer Governance Group, I extend my gratitude for the dedication, compassion and expertise of all staff and patients who deal with cancer daily.
"I would like to thank our patients and their families for their resilience and for their trust in us. It’s through our collaborative efforts that we make a real impact in the fight against cancer.”
UHW is one of eight cancer centres in the HSE National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP).
As the designated cancer centre for the South East, UHW provides an extensive range of services including early detection, diagnostics, treatment and survivorship.
Satellite cancer services are provided in Wexford General Hospital, St Luke’s General Hospital, Carlow/Kilkenny and Tipperary University Hospital.
Radiation oncology services are provided by the Radiation Oncology Centre in UPMC Whitfield Hospital, Waterford.
The goal of the UHW cancer governance group is to provide patients with timely access to quality and safe cancer services provided within the available resources.
Mr Keane also highlighted the enormous volume of cancer-related activity during 2023 and 2024 and acknowledged the significant dedication, commitment and leadership by all staff involved in the cancer services.
Director of Nursing and Integration/Cancer Services Management Lead UHW, Orla Kavanagh, spoke about the NCCP investment and future priorities for the South East Cancer Centre and recognised the contribution of the service users.
“This report will be influential towards driving quality improvement and expansion of cancer services for the benefit of the growing population of the South East.
"We would also like to acknowledge the strength and courage of people affected by cancer, who have accessed the UWH-South East Cancer services.
"Their experiences shape the continuous improvement of our services and remind us daily of the importance of compassion, dignity and excellence in care,” said Ms Kavanagh.
The report summarises cancer-related activities across the UHW South East Cancer Services in 2023 and 2024.
It highlights the multidisciplinary and complexity of care being delivered to patients of the region and includes input from 16 different departments across the diagnostic, therapeutic and supportive care domains.
