A Laois cancer patient has come out in support of the Irish Cancer Society’s calls for sustained, recurrent funding for the National Cancer Strategy.
Samantha Vaughan from Borris-in-Ossory told LaoisToday that she decided to speak out because of her strong feelings on the financial side of living with cancer.
“I felt very strongly that the medical card should be just given to all patients with cancer,” she said.
“The parking fees should be abolished – they’re colossal, and you don’t what length of time you’re going to be in the hospital.”
Ms Vaughan also said she believes a system should be introduced for cancer patients similar to maternity and paternity leave, to help people cope with the loss of income.
Households affected by cancer see an average loss of income of over €1,500 per month, around €18,000 over the course of the year according to the Irish Cancer Society.
At the same time, day-to-day costs remain, like mortgages or rent, and additional expenses emerge for things like transport, medicines, wigs, parking, childcare and more.
Ms Vaughan said getting a cancer diagnosis and then grappling with the financial implications felt like a “huge burden” at a time when she should have been resting.
The mother-of-four was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2023, at age 48, and struggled with the loss of income and additional financial pressures her diagnosis caused.
“You’re constantly trying to think ahead of the cancer, but then you have the huge burden of running a household, paying bills and making sure there’s food on the table and a roof over your head,” Ms Vaughan said.
“Then you have the cost of travelling to the hospital, paying for treatment – I had to wait nine weeks for a medical card to cover me.
“We’ve to travel to Cork, it’s €50 in the car going up and down, then you’ve got the tolls, and parking charges in the hospital.”
As well as calling for sustained, recurrent funding for the National Cancer Strategy, the Irish Cancer Society is urging government to cut the costs in Budget 2025 and stop the endless charges on vulnerable cancer patients and their families.
They are calling for funding for hospitals to abolish car parking charges for cancer patients and medical cards for all cancer patients upon diagnosis, until their treatment is finished.
They also wish to see automatic entitlement to the Household Benefits Package, Fuel Allowance and Additional Needs Payment, and electricity credits for cancer patients in palliative care for the remainder of their life.
They are calling for the abolishment of prescription charges for all medical card holders and the reduction of the Drugs Payment Scheme threshold to at least €72 per month.
While they also want the expansion of the Domiciliary Care Allowance eligibility criteria from 16 to 18 years of age.
Anyone with questions or concerns about cancer can contact the Irish Cancer Society Support Line on Freephone 1800 200 700 or email supportline@irishcancer.ie.
