Sláinte an Chláir, Clare Cancer Support,

Kilnamona, Ennis, Co Clare, Tel: 087 6912396.

This is a petition promoted by the Clare Cancer Support Centre that provides a range of services to people with cancer and their families throughout Co Clare.

Clare Cancer Support strongly believe that cancer patients and their families throughout Ireland are being limited and hindered in their treatment and recovery due to the issues outlined below.

We now ask our government to provide the following basic benefits

1. A medical card should be allocated to all cancer patients from the time of their diagnosis, with annual review. On completion of their cancer treatment, each person's care needs and personal circumstances should be assessed to ensure each person receives the care and support they need to make as full a recovery from their cancer as possible.

2. If a person living in Clare is being treated for cancer in one of the Galway hospitals and needs emergency care, the ambulance service should be directed to transport the person to the hospital where they are receiving their cancer care in Galway.

3. Cancer care services should communicate regularly with their patients Primary Care Team and in particular the GP and Community Nursing Service to ensure people receive appropriate care and support when they are undergoing cancer treatments

4. Cancer patients should not go through A & E when needing medical attention. They should be admitted directly to the oncology department/ward. (Cancer patients when they spike a temperature have to return to the hospital when undergoing chemo and are currently being put through A & E where there are many with infections etc. )

5. It should be in the charter of every hospital that a patient can have a second opinion without fear of retribution.

6. Parking: One free parking pass be given to each patient during their hospital treatment.

7. The €75 hospital daily rate charge be waived for cancer patients during treatment.

Please sign our petition.

Thank you for your support.