Sinn Féin spokesperson on Health, David Cullinane TD, has said that new figures provided to him on the number of cancelled chemotherapy sessions for children highlights the recklessness of the government imposing a recruitment embargo in the HSE.

The Waterford TD said there is an urgent need for the government to introduce a real plan to properly resource children’s health services, and that the obvious first step is for the Minister for Health to lift the recruitment embargo imposed on the HSE.

Teachta Cullinane said:

“Figures provided to me show that there were 71 chemotherapy sessions for children cancelled in the period between January and April this year.

“All of these cancellations are hospital-initiated and due to an under-resourced health system – not having beds, not having ICU capacity, and insufficient staffing levels due to the government-imposed recruitment embargo in place at the HSE.

“For any child who has a chemotherapy session cancelled, it is hugely traumatic for them and their families.

“Often these are children who are travelling to a hospital and find out en route that their session has been cancelled. This is an inexcusable exacerbation of an already-stressful situation.

“This is the end result of the government putting in place a recruitment embargo in the HSE and failing to give any additional funding for beds and capacity.

“All of this has led to very time-sensitive care being cancelled. Children deserve so much better than that.

“What we need is a real plan to properly resource children’s health services. The obvious first step is for the Minister for Health to lift the recruitment embargo imposed on the HSE.”