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| North west to get new cancer unit | North west to get new cancer unit |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| A new radiotherapy centre is to be located at Altnagelvin Hospital in Londonderry. | |
| The announcement was made by Health Minister Michael McGimpsey during an assembly debate on cancer services in the north west. | |
| Mr McGimpsey said he hoped to have the facility up and running by 2015. | Mr McGimpsey said he hoped to have the facility up and running by 2015. |
| Currently the only radiotherapy unit in Northern Ireland is in Belfast and patients have had to travel there for treatment. | Currently the only radiotherapy unit in Northern Ireland is in Belfast and patients have had to travel there for treatment. |
| Mr McGimpsey said: "Today's announcement will mean that by providing radiotherapy services in Belfast and Londonderry, the needs of the Northern Ireland population will be met beyond 2015. | |
| "It is proof of my commitment to providing high quality and accessible cancer services to the entire population. | |
| "I will continue to ensure that all health and social care services are provided to the highest possible standard and on a fair and equitable basis throughout Northern Ireland." | |
| Sinn Féin's Raymond McCartney - who tabled the motion at the assembly on Tuesday - pointed out that money must be made available for a dedicated cancer facility in the area. | Sinn Féin's Raymond McCartney - who tabled the motion at the assembly on Tuesday - pointed out that money must be made available for a dedicated cancer facility in the area. |
| For Carita Kerr, the journey from Derry to Belfast was an added burden when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. | For Carita Kerr, the journey from Derry to Belfast was an added burden when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. |
| "You go to the hospital, you have to sit around for quite some time, and then sometimes one of the machines would break down, that means there was a backlog straight away so you had to sit and sit and sit. | "You go to the hospital, you have to sit around for quite some time, and then sometimes one of the machines would break down, that means there was a backlog straight away so you had to sit and sit and sit. |
| "Then you went in for about three minutes, then back home again," said Mrs Kerr. | "Then you went in for about three minutes, then back home again," said Mrs Kerr. |
| "This happened on a daily basis when you're at your lowest ebb." | "This happened on a daily basis when you're at your lowest ebb." |
| Raymond McCartney said cancer provision was high on the political agenda in the north-west. | Raymond McCartney said cancer provision was high on the political agenda in the north-west. |
| "In the past cost was always one of the things that prevented this from happening. | "In the past cost was always one of the things that prevented this from happening. |
| "If this is taken as an all-Ireland project, the critical mass is there, and it will make it more difficult to ignore the claims of the north-west. " | "If this is taken as an all-Ireland project, the critical mass is there, and it will make it more difficult to ignore the claims of the north-west. " |