An independent evaluation of the current National Cancer Strategy will take six months, the Medical Independent (MI) has been informed.
The term of the strategy, which covers the years 2017 to 2026, will end this December.
Concern has been expressed by various organisations, including the Irish Cancer Society (ICS) and the Irish Society of Medical Oncology, about when a successor will be developed.
In June, Department of Health officials told the Oireachtas committee on health that the Minister for Health had approved the commissioning of an independent evaluation of the current strategy.
“This will be undertaken by an international panel of experts in cancer care and the appointment process is underway,” a spokesperson for the Department told MI.
The evaluation will comprise document review, site visits, and stakeholder meetings.
“Once the expert panel is appointed the evaluation is expected to take approximately six months to complete,” the spokesperson said.
The findings of this evaluation will inform the development of the next strategy.
“The Government remains committed to improving cancer outcomes and building on the progress achieved under successive national cancer strategies,” according to the spokesperson.
At the Oireachtas committee meeting in June, it was indicated that the current strategy will roll into next year, despite its term officially ending in 2026.
The development of the next strategy was a central theme in the pre-Budget submission of the ICS, which was published last month. In the foreword to the document, the Society’s CEO Ms Nikki Gallagher wrote that the Government needed to make a new strategy a priority.
“This requires a clear role for the National Cancer Control Programme, and sustained, multi-annual investment in cancer services, infrastructure, and prevention,” outlined Ms Gallagher. See editorial.
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