Cancer Services

Thursday, 15 January 2026

Questions (516)

Richard Boyd Barrett

Question:

516. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health if her attention has been drawn to patients’ and their families’ concerns about breaks in the delivery of time-sensitive radiotherapy cancer treatment over holiday periods, for example, at Christmas which can in some cases lead to accelerated repopulation of cancer cells; if she has examined ways in which this can be addressed to minimise the impact on patients’ treatment and outcomes and looked at NHS England guidance and leading UK cancer centres in this area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2945/26]

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Written answers

Minister for Health

The Department has received correspondence addressed to the Minister on concerns over the delivery of radiotherapy over holiday periods.

Following receipt of this correspondence, the Department of Health contacted the HSE who confirmed that St. Luke’s Radiation Oncology Network (SLRON) has a local policy covering the compensation of radical radiotherapy treatment on bank holidays based on Royal College of Radiologist’s published guidance.

The HSE confirmed that compensation strategies are proactively addressed when patients are booked and scheduled for treatment and as the management of radiotherapy treatment is a service matter, I have referred the second part of this question to the HSE for response.