Hospital For Humans To Offer Radiotherapy For Animals Criticized

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Main Category: Veterinary
Also Included In: MRSA / Drug Resistance;  Public Health;  Cancer / Oncology
Article Date: 30 Oct 2006 - 10:00 PDT

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In order to earn desperately needed cash, Ipswich Hospital, Suffolk, England, has come up with the idea of offering its radiotherapy facilities for treating pets. The hospital has clocked up debts of over 24 million pounds ($40 million) and believes it could earn about 50,000 pounds ($90,000) per year if it used equipment which remains idle at weekends.

However, Katherine Murphy, of the Patients Association, says the proposal horrified her. She is against the idea of treating animals where people are treated. She hopes the proposal never gets off the ground.

Jan Rowsell, spokeswoman for the hospital, says patients would not lose out, as the pets would be treated during hours when patients are not there anyway. She added that the risk of infection would be zero. Ipswich Hospital had come up with 700 plans thought up by staff, this one was just one of them, she said.

If the plan does get off the ground, Ipswich Hospital would work with a local veterinary college. Rowsell said strict infection control procedures would be used - everything would be covered in anti-allergy drapes, the radiotherapy room would be deep cleaned after each session.

Andrew Lansley, Shadow Health Secretary (for the opposition Conservative Party) wondered why Ipswich Hospital's NHS equipment could not be fully occupied providing services to human patients. He criticized the Government, saying financial mismanagement had led to huge deficits, which are driving hospitals to desperate measures, such as this one, to make ends meet.

Comment by Editor of Medical News Today

I can imagine a sign outside the Radiotherapy Unit one day, it would read:

-- 9 am: Small Dogs and Wading Birds
-- 11 am: Large Dogs
-- 1 pm: Small Cats and Ferrets
-- 3 pm: Large Cats and Young Tropical Birds
-- 5 pm: Gerbils, Turtles and Humans
-- 6 pm: Prize-winning Cows, Bulls and Sheep
-- 7 pm: Loans arranged, competitive rates
(If you have no pet/farm animal insurance, and a bad credit-rating, please make sure you have plenty of cash on you)

Written by: Christian Nordqvist
Editor: Medical News Today
Copyright: Medical News Today
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