North west to get new cancer unit

There is currently no radiotherapy unit at Altnagelvin hospital

A new radiotherapy centre is to be sited at Altnagelvin Hospital in Londonderry.

The announcement of Northern Ireland's second cancer centre was made by Health Minister Michael McGimpsey during an assembly debate on Tuesday.

Mr McGimpsey said he hoped to have the facility up and running by 2015.

Currently, the only radiotherapy unit is at the Regional Cancer Centre in Belfast and patients have to travel there for treatment.

Mr McGimpsey said: "Today's announcement will mean that by providing radiotherapy services in Belfast and Londonderry, the needs of the Northern Ireland population will be met beyond 2015.

"It is proof of my commitment to providing high quality and accessible cancer services to the entire population.

"I will continue to ensure that all health and social care services are provided to the highest possible standard and on a fair and equitable basis throughout Northern Ireland."

The announcement has been welcomed by Susan Gibson, manager of Derry Well Woman.

She said: "We have been committed to both the cancer agenda and the cross-border agenda for the north west for many years.

"That local people will no longer have to travel to either Belfast or Dublin for radiotherapy represents a move towards equity in terms of cancer care delivery in Ireland - north and south."

For Carita Kerr, the journey from Derry to Belfast was an added burden when she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

"You go to the hospital, you have to sit around for quite some time, and then sometimes one of the machines would break down, that means there was a backlog straight away so you had to sit and sit and sit.

"Then you went in for about three minutes, then back home again," said Mrs Kerr.

"This happened on a daily basis when you're at your lowest ebb."

Sinn Féin assembly member Raymond McCartney said cancer provision was high on the political agenda in the north-west.

"In the past cost was always one of the things that prevented this from happening," he said.

"If this is taken as an all-Ireland project, the critical mass is there, and it will make it more difficult to ignore the claims of the north-west. "