Newry SDLP Councillor Killian Feehan has strongly challenged the Department of Health’s response to a Notice of Motion from Newry, Mourne and Down District Council calling for the urgent establishment of CAR T-Cell therapy services in Northern Ireland, and for interim access to specialist treatment in the Republic.
In correspondence to the Council, the Health Minister confirmed that his Department’s position remains unchanged — claiming that services in the Republic of Ireland are at capacity, and that CAR T-Cell therapy will not be introduced in Belfast until 2030/2031, coinciding with the development of a new haematology unit.
The SDLP has described this response as deeply disappointing and out of step with clinical evidence and patient need.
Councillor Killian Feehan said:
“The SDLP does not accept the Department of Health’s position. Patients and families in Northern Ireland cannot afford to wait until 2031 for access to this lifesaving treatment. We have engaged directly with leading clinicians who are clear that CAR T-Cell therapy could be delivered locally much sooner with the right support and investment.
“The Health Minister’s response also fails to acknowledge that new CAR T-Cell therapy services will be operational in Galway by the end of this year — a development which challenges claims that capacity issues in the Republic prevent cross-border access.
“The SDLP is now calling on the Stormont Health Committee to interrogate and test the assertions made by the Department of Health and to press for an accelerated pathway for delivery of CAR T-Cell therapy in the North.
“We owe it to patients and families facing blood cancers and other life-threatening conditions to deliver this treatment as quickly as possible. The SDLP will not accept unnecessary delay or bureaucratic complacency when lives are at stake.”
ENDS
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