Minister for Health announces further details of €23 million allocation for National Cancer Strategy
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From: Department of Health
- Published on: 8 October 2024
- Last updated on: 18 October 2024
The Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has announced further details of funding for the National Cancer Strategy as part of Budget 2025. The allocation totals €23.1 million in 2025, with a full-year cost of €32.9 million in 2026.
Combined with €10 million funding for oncology drugs and payments of €7.9 million to cancer research projects, this brings the total 2025 cancer funding to €41 million.
It includes:
- 179 additional staff to be recruited to national cancer screening and treatment services, to continue to improve access and outcomes for cancer patients under the National Cancer Strategy
- €4.8 million for expansion of BreastCheck and of the BowelScreen programme to 58-70 year olds
- €10.1 million across cancer control activities, cancer treatments and the Hereditary Cancer Model of Care to improve patient access and expand access to new treatments. This includes specialised radiology posts and advanced practice radiation therapy posts
- €0.7 million for expansion of acute oncology/haematology nursing service to help cancer patients avoid unnecessary Emergency Department (ED) attendance
- €2 million for post-mastectomy products in the community
- €5.5 million to be allocated to the Alliance of Community Cancer Support Centres and Services
The National Cancer Strategy aims to transform cancer control services, across prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment and quality of life, with a focus on improving outcomes for cancer patients.
Minister Donnelly said:
"I am happy to announce today over €23 million additional funding for the implementation of the National Cancer Strategy in 2025. This will enable the recruitment of over 170 additional staff to our national cancer screening and treatment services, meaning an additional 840 staff will have been recruited for cancer services over the lifetime of the Strategy. Added to medicines and research, this brings the total investment in cancer services over the time period of the Strategy to over €250 million to date.
"Since this Strategy was first published, we have seen major improvements in survival rates for cancer patients. In 2017 we had 150,000 people in Ireland living after a cancer diagnosis; today we have over 215,000. That’s a 43% increase and today’s investment will continue the strengthening of our cancer services, make new treatments available for patients, and ensure that critical supports are provided for patients and their families.
"This investment in 2025 will enable the continued development of national cancer services, implementation of new models of care and clinical guidelines which will deliver better services for patients."
€4.8 million is being invested in screening in 2025, with a full-year cost of €7.3 million, to expand the age coverage of BowelScreen to people aged 58 to 70 and to add further capacity to BreastCheck. This means that more people can avail of these important screening programmes.
Funding of €8.8 million in treatment services in 2025 across cancer surgery, systemic therapies and radiation therapy, will mean that new treatments such as CAR-T cell therapy are more widely available, and timely access to cancer surgery and radiotherapy are supported.
Funding of €10 million allocated to cancer drugs, with a full-year cost of €14 million, will mean greater access to new cancer medicines.
Minister Donnelly continued:
"I'm pleased to also allocate €5.5 million for the NCCP Alliance of Community Cancer Support Centres and Services. These centres provide vital services for cancer patients in communities throughout Ireland, both adults and children. They do tremendous work to ensure that national survivorship programmes are available all across Ireland. This government places great value on the dedication of the staff and volunteers who make these centres possible.
"We have a 30-year legacy of a national approach to cancer control in Ireland which has revolutionised how cancer is treated and experienced. Studies have shown that our evidence-based strategic approach has a direct impact on patient outcomes and five-year survival rates for all cancers have increased by 25% compared to when we started. We still have a challenge ahead of us, as the incidence of cancer is expected to grow, and I will continue to prioritise investment and support for our national cancer services."
Mr. Bernard Gloster, CEO of the HSE, said:
"Cancer continues to be a key area of focus for the HSE, and this additional funding will enable more patients to receive timely access to care. The HSE will work at national, regional and local level to ensure that treatment services make best use of new resources to support patients through their treatment journey."
Professor Risteárd Ó Laoide, National Director of the National Cancer Control Programme, said:
"This additional funding for the National Cancer Strategy is very welcome, and it will improve access for cancer patients to integrated care, ensuring that new patient pathways are supported, and that optimal care is provided according to best international practice, with the aim of continuing to improve patient outcomes."
Notes
Total capital funding under the Strategy has been over €140 million, including investment in new radiation oncology centres in Cork and Galway, a new National Cervical Screening Laboratory, and improvements to oncology day wards across chemotherapy-providing hospitals.
Implementation of the National Cancer Strategy is a Programme for Government commitment.
Figures for survival rates are based on National Cancer Registry Ireland (NCRI) Annual Statistical Report 2023.
This funding will support the following.
Early diagnosis and prevention
- early diagnosis, prevention and rapid access clinics - Funding will enable improvements across early diagnosis of cancer and prevention activities. This will benefit patients as catching cancer at an earlier stage leads to less complex care needs and more positive outcomes
- screening – BowelScreen programme will be expanded to cover increased age range of 58-70, from 59-69 currently
Optimal oncology care
Funding for these services will mean better treatment options for cancer patients:
- medical oncology - Funding will support expanded delivery of new treatments such as CAR T-cell therapy, stem cell therapies, and radiolabelled therapy for neuro-endocrine tumour patients, and increase the resilience of compounding services to address chemotherapy supply issues
- surgical oncology – As well as progressing centralisation of cancer surgery which results in better patient outcomes, funding for surgical oncology will enhance surgical care teams, provide support for reconstructive surgery for breast cancer patients, and facilitate the introduction of new treatments such as robotic surgery for prostate cancer
- radiation oncology – Funding for radiation oncology will improve treatment times and support the rollout of new treatment types which now benefit 10% of patients receiving radiation therapy, which are more targeted and produce better outcomes for patients
- CAYA – Funding for Children Adolescent and Young Adult (CAYA) services will support the full implementation of the CAYA Model of Care and ensure there are appropriate services in place for children and young people with cancer according to their specific needs
- hereditary cancer – Funding to implement the Hereditary Cancer Model of Care will ensure that appropriate services are available for people with a genetic predisposition to cancer to avail of genetics testing and to use patient pathways for specific therapies available for them
- acute oncology/haematology nursing service – Funding will expand the operating hours for this telephone triage service, which helps patient in active treatment to avoid unnecessary ED attendance
- psycho-oncology – Funding will support the implementation of the Psycho-oncology Models of Care both for adults and for children and young people. Psycho-social supports through treatment are essential to protect the wellbeing of cancer patients dealing with the burden of a cancer diagnosis and treatment
Maximising quality of life for cancer patients and survivorship
- community cancer support centre funding – Funding for the Alliance of Community Cancer Support Centres and Services will support national survivorship programmes and lymphoedema provision in communities throughout Ireland
- survivorship – Funding for survivorship coordinators will support delivery and development of survivorship programmes nationally and support self-managed follow-up pathways for patients who are exiting active cancer treatment
- more than 35 cancer support centres will receive funding in 2025 from the National Cancer Control Programme