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Newry and Armagh MLA Aoife Finnegan has called for urgent improvements to cancer support services after raising the case of Marianne Tiernan, a young mother living with Stage 4 breast cancer. The MLA has written to the Health Minister and raised the issue in the Assembly.
Marianne Tiernan was 38 years old when she was told her cancer had returned as Stage 4, incurable and life-limiting, having previously battled the disease. She chose to speak publicly about her experience so that others in similar situations would not feel unsupported or unheard.
Minister Finnegan said: “Over recent weeks, I have raised serious concerns directly with the Health Minister around the lived experiences of people navigating cancer care across the North, including access to counselling, fertility advice, cold cap treatment, wig support, PICC line covers and referral delays.
"These issues were also highlighted in the Assembly through a Member's Statement detailing the experience of Marianne Tiernan, whose courage in speaking publicly about her diagnosis has already had a real impact."
She added: "At just 38 years old, after previously battling cancer, Marianne was devastatingly told her cancer had returned as Stage 4, incurable and life-limiting. Despite everything she is facing, she chose to speak out so that no other person would feel abandoned or unheard during the most difficult time of their life."
The MLA said her concerns to the Health Minister covered a range of issues, including access to counselling, fertility advice, cold cap treatment, wig support, PICC line covers and referral delays. In his response, the Health Minister acknowledged inconsistencies between Trusts in access to support services, and confirmed that cold cap treatment is not currently commissioned within Health and Social Care in the North.
Finnegan said the acknowledgement was welcome but not sufficient: "While I welcome that engagement, acknowledgement alone is not enough. Patients and families now need to see action."
She was clear that frontline staff were not to blame, stating: "This is not about blaming frontline healthcare staff, who continue to provide extraordinary care under immense pressure. The issue is systemic."
The MLA said too many patients were being left without emotional support at diagnosis, facing unequal access to services and additional financial pressures during treatment.
She concluded: "No person battling cancer should feel unsupported, unheard, or forced to fight the very system meant to care for them. Marianne Tiernan has shown incredible strength and courage, not only for herself, but for every family who may one day face a similar diagnosis. Her voice matters, and cancer patients deserve a healthcare system that listens."
