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Partners
The Consortium draws upon resources and talents from throughout the cancer communities in Ireland, Northern Ireland, and the United States to achieve its mission. We welcome ideas, partnerships, and collaborative relationships in the following areas:- Training opportunities for cancer personnel, students, and educators
- Industry sponsorship of fellowships and other educational opportunities
- Participation in Consortium working groups to study and implement approved programmes
- Participation in Consortium conferences
CURRENT PARTNERS
Ireland
Department of Health and Children
The Department of Health and Children supports the Minister for Health and Children in the formulation and evaluation of policies for the health services. In conjunction with the Health Service Executive (HSE) and other interested parties, the Department also has a role in the strategic planning of health services.
In accordance with A Strategy for Cancer Control in Ireland 2006, the HSE established a National Cancer Control Programme in 2007. The goals of the Programme are to improve cancer prevention, detection, treatment, and survival through a national service based on evidence and best practise.
Under the Programme, there are four Managed Cancer Control Networks, with two cancer centres within each Network serving a minimum population of 500,000. Ultimately, all cancer diagnostic and surgical services will be provided within these eight centres. Chemotherapy, when required, can be delivered locally in accordance with protocols set out by the multi-disciplinary team based in the designated centre. The process of moving diagnostic and surgical cancer services from non-designated hospitals to the designated cancer centres is ongoing.
Free breast and cervical cancer screenings are now available to women throughout the Republic. BreastCheck offers free screening to all women aged 50-64 years. CervicalCheck offers free cervical screening in primary care settings to the 1.1 million women living in Ireland aged 25-60 years.
The Department of Health and Children also supports the National Cancer Registry, Ireland (NCRI), which collects high-quality information on cancer and promotes the use of this information in reducing cancer incidence and improving survival. The Registry also provides essential input to the formation, implementation, and monitoring of data relating to clinical activities and outcomes under the National Cancer Control Programme.
Health Research Board
In conjunction with Northern Ireland's Health and Social Care Research and Development (HSC R&D) Division, Ireland's Health Research Board (HRB) is responsible for funding many Consortium programmes, including the clinical trials network and scholar exchange programmes. In 1986, Ireland's then Minister of Health established the HRB to improve people's health, patient care, and health service delivery.
The HRB has invested close to €50 million in cancer research since 2005 and is focused on long-term strategies such as developing infrastructure and building capacity in cancer research across a variety of disciplines. This funding strategy encompasses two goals:
- Driving the development of excellent clinical research, including applied biomedical research, within a coherent health research system
- Building capacity to conduct high-quality population health science and health services research
Northern Ireland
Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety
The mission of the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS) is to improve the health and social well-being of all people in Northern Ireland by ensuring appropriate health and social care services in both the community and clinical settings, such as hospitals and general practise. The DHSSPS also supports health improvement programmes that are designed to secure improvement in health and social well-being and reduce health inequalities.
Several professional groups serve as advisors to DHSSPS administration and the Medical and Nursing Groups are represented in the Consortium's membership. The Minister for DHSSPS for Northern Ireland, Mr. Michael McGimpsey, was appointed in May 2007.
The Northern Ireland Executive's Programme for Government (PfG) document details its plans and priorities for 2008-11 and sets the strategic context for DHSSPS current planning arrangements. In addition to the PfG, the Department produces the Priorities for Action (PfA) document on an annual basis, which describes the Health Minister's "priority areas" for the delivery of services through the Health and Social Care (HSC) system.
In 2005, DHSSPS established the Northern Ireland Cancer Network (NICaN) to promote equal access to high-quality, patient-focused, and clinically-effective cancer care. NICaN supports professionals, patients, and volunteers in working together to achieve these goals.
The Northern Ireland Executive is currently in the process of finalizing the Review of Public Administration (RPA) with the objective to reduce bureaucracy and concentrate resources on the frontline of care. The recommendations arising from the RPA are being implemented in two major phases for health and social care services:
- Phase 1 involved the establishment of five new integrated HSC Trusts (Launched April 2007)
- Phase 2 established the Health and Social Care Board and Public Health Agency, which are jointly responsible for producing an integrated plan to see what progressive service improvements are brought about by investments that are made based on evidence of effectiveness and a drive for quality and efficiency (Launched April 2009)
Health and Social Care Research and Development Division
The Health and Social Care Research and Development (HSC R&D) Division of the Public Health Agency works to encourage and support HSC research throughout Northern Ireland. The move of the former HSC R&D Office to the new Public Health Agency has not changed its remit and the HSC R&D Division continues to provide a wide range of support for research across all sectors of health and social care, and for all professions engaged in clinical research.
The HSC R&D Division continues to work with a variety of partner organisations to help bridge professional, organisational, sectoral, and geographic boundaries and help develop Northern Ireland as a national and international centre for research and development in health and social care.
Specific initiatives to support cancer research are organised inside, and outside, of the Consortium activities. In the past year funding has been provided for National Cancer Institute (NCI) cancer prevention fellowships, cancer prevention summer courses, joint research projects in cancer, clinical trial nurse training, and the All-Ireland cancer clinical trials group.
United States
Department of Health and Human Services
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is the U.S. government's principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services, especially for those who are least able to help themselves. HHS includes more than 300 social and scientific programmes, covering a wide spectrum of activities including cancer research and cancer care. Kathleen Sebelius was sworn in as the 21st Secretary of the HHS on 28 April 2009.
National Cancer Institute
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which is one of 11 agencies that compose the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The NCI, established under the National Cancer Institute Act of 1937, is the federal government's principal agency for cancer research and training. The National Cancer Act of 1971 broadened the scope and responsibilities of the NCI and created the National Cancer Program. Over the years, legislative amendments have maintained the NCI authorities and responsibilities, and added new information dissemination mandates as well as a requirement to assess the incorporation of state-of-the-art cancer treatments into clinical practise.
The NCI coordinates the National Cancer Program, which conducts and supports research, training, health information dissemination, and other programmes with respect to the cause, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of cancer, rehabilitation from cancer, and the continuing care of cancer patients and their families. Specifically, NCI:
- Supports and coordinates research projects conducted by universities, hospitals, research foundations, and businesses throughout the country and abroad through research grants and cooperative agreements
- Conducts research in its own laboratories and clinics
- Supports education and training in fundamental sciences and clinical disciplines for participation in basic and clinical research programmes and treatment programmes relating to cancer through career awards, training grants, and fellowships
- Supports research projects in cancer control
- Supports a national network of cancer centres
- Collaborates with voluntary organizations and other national and foreign institutions engaged in cancer research and training activities
- Encourages and coordinates cancer research by industrial concerns where such concerns evidence a particular capability for programmatic research
- Collects and disseminates information on cancer
- Supports construction of laboratories, clinics, and related facilities necessary for cancer research through the award of construction grants
Office of International Affairs
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) Office of International Affairs (OIA) is the focal point for execution of many (though not all) of the Institute's international outreach programmes, which are pursuant to these mandates.
Specifically, OIA is charged with:
- Coordinating, planning, managing, and evaluating the international research, control, and information activities of the National Cancer Program
- Serving as NCI focal point with the Fogarty International Center, the Office of Global Health Affairs of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the State Department, and other federal organizations involved in international health activities
- Coordinating cancer activities under formal and informal collaborative agreements between the United States and other countries
- Planning and implementing programmes for the international exchange of scientists
- Liaising with international agencies involved in the National Cancer Program
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