Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly opened the Saolta Radiation Oncology Centre at Galway University Hospital (GUH). This new radiation oncology centre began to accept patients in Q2 2023.
This new facility comprises a three-story radiation oncology centre at GUH and will provide state of the art treatment for radiotherapy patients in the West of Ireland going forward, improving waiting times and ensuring equal access to cutting edge therapies for patients throughout Ireland.
Opening the new centre, Minister Donnelly said, “this centre is the result of a commitment set out in our National Cancer Strategy to expand radiation oncology facilities in Galway, Cork and Dublin. It is important that we build additional capacity in our radiation oncology centres to deal with increased demand. 60% of all patients with cancer may require radiation therapy at some point, and the incidence of cancer nationally is expected to double by 2045 as our population gets older.”
“This centre was delivered as part of our National Plan for Radiation Oncology. This Plan looks at our radiation oncology services in a strategic way and ensures that the vision for these large projects can be delivered. Alongside the radiation oncology unit in Cork University Hospital, this centre will provide enormous benefits for patients offering a comprehensive range of cancer treatment programmes.”
Regarding additional developments in Galway, Minister Donnelly continued, “further investment and major developments are planned in Galway. This includes a new Emergency Department (ED) and a Women and Children’s block, which will deliver modern fit-for-purpose facilities for emergency care, maternity, paediatrics, and gynaecology. A new Surgical Hub is also planned, which will improve waiting times for patients. A new cancer centre for Galway was featured in the National Development Plan and is currently at the design feasibility stage under the HSE Capital Plan, to be progressed further next year.”
Welcoming the opening of the new centre, Bernard Gloster, Health Service Executive (HSE) CEO, said, “this is a critical development which will further support the delivery of cancer services in the West and Northwest and is a very significant investment in cancer services in the region. This new centre will ensure that patients receive their treatment in a state of the art, modern purpose-built facility that has been developed in a way to allow for future expansion. This new facility will allow the cancer team in Saolta increase the range of treatments, staffing and capacity over time.”
“I want to recognise and acknowledge the huge amount of work that has taken place over many years to bring us to today. I look forward to this being one of many Capital Developments in Galway and the Saolta group in the coming years.”
