Mid West cancer service wins national HSE award

A nurse‑led community oncology service in the Mid West has been recognised nationally after winning an award at the recent HSE Integrated Healthcare Conference.

The partnership between University Hospital Limerick (UHL) Cancer Services and the regional Community Intervention Team (CIT) was launched in 2015 and aims to bring cancer treatment closer to home for patients in Limerick and surrounding counties.

Operating seven days a week from hubs in Limerick, Newcastle West, Ennis, Nenagh and Thurles, the service delivered almost 10,000 community oncology interventions in 2025. Interventions include taking blood samples, disconnecting chemotherapy pumps, administering selected anti‑cancer treatments (excluding chemotherapy) and caring for central venous access devices.

The CIT also provides palliative and end‑of‑life care and supports early discharge for oncology and haematology patients, reducing travel times and freeing hospital capacity for more complex care.

At the conference, the Minister for Health highlighted the service as a model that could be replicated nationally. Áine Collins, oncology clinical nurse manager, credited the success to staff commitment and strong collaboration between hospital and community services.

Source: Limerick Post. Photo: https://kaboompics.com/ / Pexels.