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Travel boost for Donegal cancer
patients
30.11.09
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CANCER group CCC(NW)
have been successful in lobbying for Donegal breast
cancer patients to be included in a scheme that
helps with the cost of travelling for treatment.
One of the criteria of the Travel2Care scheme is
that women must live more than 30km from the cancer
centre to which they have been referred.
CCC(NW)'s Noelle Duddy said: “The emotional and
financial stress and distress experienced by Donegal
cancer patients travelling for cancer treatment
cannot be underestimated. The aim of the scheme is
to help patients with some travel costs if they have
genuine financial hardship or need due to travelling
to a designated cancer centre." |
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The Travel2Care Scheme
provides some financial help towards the costs of
public transport such as trains or buses, private
transport costs or petrol and parking, Ms Duddy
added.
CCC(NW) recently received assurances from the Irish
Cancer Society that patients availing of symptomatic
breast services in Letterkenny General Hospital
could avail of theTravel2Care "in the same way as
those who are attending one of the eight designated
[cancer] centres".
The Irish Cancer Society's nursing services manager
Joan Kelly travelled to Donegal in September to meet
with nurses from |
Letterkenny’s oncology
team regarding the Travel2Care Scheme. Ms Kelly
stated: "I informed them of the Travel2Care Scheme
and that breast cancer patients attending
Letterkenny General Hospital could avail of the
scheme in the same way as those who are attending
one of the eight designated centres do. The staff
that attended the meeting indicated that they would
inform all other relevant staff within the
hospital’," she said.
Ms Duddy said the Irish Cancer Society has also now
included Letterkenny on its website regarding the
Travel2Care scheme.
“We must stress that the Travel2Care Scheme is, at
this point in time, only available to women
travelling to a designated cancer centre or
Letterkenny General Hospital, for symptomatic breast
services. It is envisaged that patients receiving
investigations/treatments for other cancers will
eventually be included in the Travel2Care Scheme as
the NCCP is further developed," added Ms Duddy, who
thanked the Irish Cancer Society and Prof Tom Keane
for addressing their concerns so promptly.
"While we are pleased with the outcome of our
lobbying on this particular aspect of access to
financial support for cancer patients, we in no way
underestimate the serious financial difficulties
patients face travelling huge distances to access
other forms of cancer services and these
difficulties still need to be urgently addressed by
the DoHC/HSE/NCCP,” she said. For further
information on the Travel2Care Scheme please contact
the Oncology Department at Letterkenny General
Hospital on 074 91 25888 or Eimear Considine,
Travel2Care, Irish Cancer Society, at 01-2316619 or
email:
travel2care@irishcancer.ie . |
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