On Thursday we launched the inaugural All-Island Paediatric Oncology Conference, the first ever childhood cancer conference to bring together experts and stakeholders from across the island of Ireland. The two-day event, held in Dundalk, is hosted in collaboration with The Children’s Cancer Unit Charity, the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children, Childhood Cancer Ireland and the National Children’s Cancer Service at Children’s Health Ireland at Crumlin.
This landmark conference represents a pivotal first step towards building a joined-up system of care for children and young people with cancer, regardless of where they live on the island.
Delegates include national and international experts from across the healthcare sector, including clinicians, healthcare providers, researchers, academics, and patient advocacy groups. Central to discussions over the two days are updates on best practices in paediatric oncology, multi-disciplinary care, and insights from research and clinical experience.
With this first-of-its-kind cross-border initiative, organisers seek to open a dialogue and explore possibilities around how childhood and adolescent cancer could be approached across the island of Ireland. Each year in Ireland, approximately 375 children, teenagers, and young adults up to the age of 24 are diagnosed with cancer. Ensuring equal access to life-saving treatments and clinical trials – regardless of geography – is a central theme of the event.
As part of this inaugural gathering, shared hopes include:
- Exploring the creation of an All-Island Paediatric Oncology Network to strengthen collaboration between centres in Dublin and Belfast.
- Considering the creation of a working group on clinical trials access, to support more equitable participation for children and young people across all regions.
- Encouraging data sharing and joint research, drawing on combined expertise to enhance outcomes and reduce treatment toxicity.
- Exploring opportunities for greater integration of care, including pathways for collaboration and alignment of approaches where appropriate.
These ambitions reflect a collective commitment to building a more connected, equitable, and innovative system of care for children and young people with cancer across the island of Ireland.
The event was formally opened by Minister for Health, Mike Nesbitt MLA, who emphasised the importance of this initiative:
“This conference marks an important step in exploring how we can strengthen collaboration between the paediatric oncology centres in Belfast and Dublin to improve outcomes for children and young people with cancer. It’s an opportunity to consider how stronger connections between clinicians might be developed, how working groups could improve access to clinical trials, and how sharing data and expertise can benefit patients and families. As Northern Ireland’s Health Minister, I am proud of our world-class cancer expertise, and by building on that strength through greater collaboration, we can help deliver the best possible care, no matter where a child or young person lives.”
Speaking at the launch, Jane Hoare, Chief Executive of The Children’s Cancer Unit Charity, said:
“This conference represents an extraordinary opportunity to share expertise, strengthen cross-border collaboration, and work toward a future where every child diagnosed with cancer has equal access to the best possible care and treatment. By uniting the paediatric oncology community across the island, we are laying the foundations for a more equitable and joined-up system and a vital first step in exploring new pathways for collaboration.”
Those attending the conference include some of Ireland’s leading experts in paediatric oncology, among them:
- Dr Cormac Owens, Consultant Paediatric Oncologist, Children’s Health Ireland.
- Prof Owen Smith, National Clinical Advisor for Children Adolescents and Young
adult Cancers at the National Cancer Control Programme and Consultant
Paediatric Haematologist, Children’s Health Ireland.
- Dr Anthony McCarthy, Consultant Paediatric Oncologist, Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children.
- Dr Robert Johnston, Consultant Paediatric Oncologist, Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children.
- Dr Scheryll Alken, Consultant in Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer, Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) at Crumlin and St. James’s Hospital.
They join more than 60 other senior healthcare professionals in the field of oncology, alongside researchers, academics, and advocacy groups.
The conference marks a significant step forward in the effort to strengthen all-island collaboration and deliver better outcomes for children and young people diagnosed with cancer.
