Claims Lack Of Cancer Trial Funding Impacting Clare Patients

Yeah, I don't think it's just it's clear it's it's almost an east v west scenario and it points to a significant I guess disparity between investment and collaboration indeed as well between

third level institutions and I suppose clinical facilities hospitals etc on the east coast and we certainly don't seem to have the same collaboration between

hospitals and third level in the west way I mentioned that is that the

suppose the connection between the two is from research to implementation of trial and

any of the

the research that I've been involved with over the years for the most part involves

is involves third level institutions in Dublin

I've had very little involvement with

will stay further like you know smaker and goleware and corporate that matter very very little over the most

based and that's it's worrying because out of every clinical trial comes and are out of every

research and project comes a clinical trial and that trial those trials

sit you know not just let the prolong they help save lives they but they assist the patients they

assist those of us that are living with cancer and if it's for a lot of people you know be elderly or

be informed traveling is an issue traveling long distances is especially an issue and

you got to think that some people would rather for goal potentially participating in a trial

rather than going through the issues that that arise in relation to for example

long-term accommodation or indeed getting too Dublin never mind coming back

and we're looking here at patients that some would be extremely ill some are not but at the same time

all our patients and the last thing you would I suppose at that stage of your life when you're

dealing with something like that the last thing you want to be doing is traveling long distances

or overnighting etc and there should be more of an emphasis in on collaboration I think across

the island of Ireland and that's north and south and you know I have worked before with the

all Ireland Cancer Research Institute and it's doing a lot of good work but I think for the

most part a lot of that has not been felt as of yet by patients on the ground just in advance of

this I just had a cursory look at cancer trials Ireland in relation to trials available and open

for someone like myself with prostate cancer and Vincent's Taller mentioned several times

in several trials sponsored cures in cork another mention but certainly I don't know how

up to date that information was on the website it appeared relatively up to date but not much mention

of anything ongoing in the Midwest and for me personally that's something I'm looking into at the

moment trials will be an issue over the the the coming months potentially coming months several

months or more and if I have to travel I will obviously I prefer not to but needs most but that's not

as easy for a lot of other people and a very conscious of that fact the third levels pharma

public and private all need to collaborate work together you know an illness doesn't doesn't

doesn't care one way or the other whether you have private health care or public health care

whatever the diagnosis if there's something out there that can help you that can prolong your life

in terms of a clinical trial with all people should have access to it and that's something that I

have come across over the years and it's it's terrible where you can access some trials

if you have access to a private facility and I think that's a I think it's quite frankly it's

shocking I'm not blaming anybody but I don't think that anybody or any illness should your

the size of your pocket the size of your wallet should not define how your illness is treated

if there's something out there that can help you in some way shape or form you should have access

to it yeah and sorry John it's just peculiar a point that you mentioned earlier obviously

you have any cancer treatment center of excellence in UHL you have a highly specialized and

wraparound services available to you in oncology and with the University of Limerick on your doorstep

it does seem very bizarre that we don't see more funding for cancer trials going into UHL

yeah there's a lot more discussion and collaboration between UHL and UN

certainly that I'm aware of over the last 12 months something like this takes years and years

and years and years of investment and collaboration to bring it to a point where for example

in UCD UCD have a phenomenal research facility they work in close collaboration with the adjacent

hospitals in Dublin area but that takes many many many years of development and collaboration and

investment so we're not at that point in midwest I know that a lot of discussion has taken place

and is actually taking place between UHL and UN but I'm saying that that's not that'll take years

it's it's not something that's going to happen overnight so in the interim I think what's needed

is visibility in the region as to what is available where it's available and efforts made to I guess

to ensure I suppose easier access for those that need it to trials to send anytime I go into

into UHL I pass by the clinical trials Ireland it's it's literally a port cabin or part of a port

cabin in in UHL and I never see much visibility of I've never I walk by it but it's just not the

most inviting place to win it's a room I don't see many people there much out of the time so I think

there's more interaction need excuse me needed between the service users and the system itself

and vice versa and not just seeking patients to participate in trials and every now and again but

as to what's available around the country I'll at this point in time just because it's somewhere else

it shouldn't be an inhibitor or a prohibitor if there's an issue with somebody getting to Dublin

we should be helping that person get to Dublin if there's an issue with accommodation elsewhere we

should be helping that person with accommodation too and you know if it's if it's if it's as it

goes back to you know it's much mortality it's it's the the potential of extending someone's life

or indeed in many cases people enter it with a successful treatment our successful trial

enter remission and continue our wanted to live quite long happy healthy lives and there's

nothing but should get in the way this you know we've made advancements in medical oncology

significant advance advancements even in terms of of prostate cancer that I'm living with

there's been massive improvements in in modems of treatment over the last several years that I've

seen for myself that years ago I had to go every day to receive treatment up and go all the way

that very same treatment now that used to take about 38 days now takes about five to seven days

that's that's replicated right across many many different types of cancer treatment

and death is a significant saving ultimately to the state it's a significant saving to the

the person involved that's receiving the treatment and what we need in the I won't say the midwest

because we're talking about the west whether that be northwest southwest or midwest collectively

more collaboration between private enterprise between your pharmaceuticals between

department of health between our hospitals to ensure that every effort is made not only to advance

technology to advance advance treatment options but also to ensure that everyone has access to them