HSE announces appointment of Professor Deborah McNamara as National Director of the National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP)

The Health Service Executive (HSE) has announced the appointment of Professor Deborah McNamara as National Director of the National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP). Professor McNamara is a Consultant General and Colorectal Surgeon at Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, and Clinical Professor at RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences. Professor McNamara is Immediate Past-President of RCSI and has held senior clinical, professional and national leadership roles spanning surgical practice, healthcare improvement, education and the development of health services in Ireland.

Her career has combined frontline patient care with leadership at hospital and national level. Professor McNamara served as Programme Director of the National Higher Surgical Training Programme in General Surgery from 2010 to 2013 and as Clinical Director for Surgery at Beaumont Hospital from 2014 to 2017.

From 2017 to 2024, Professor McNamara served as Co-Lead of the National Clinical Programme for Surgery, where she led and contributed to major healthcare improvement initiatives across the Irish health service. Her work included programmes focused on patient safety, operating theatre efficiency and emergency surgery, together with the development and implementation of national models of care, clinical guidelines and care pathways.

A recognised academic and researcher, Professor McNamara's work has received national and international recognition. Her experience brings together clinical practice, medical education, professional leadership and the design and delivery of healthcare improvement at national scale.

Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill TD said: "Professor Deborah McNamara will bring a wealth of clinical, academic and leadership experience as National Director of the National Cancer Control Programme. The NCCP holds a key role in the implementation of the current National Cancer Strategy and in the oversight of performance of cancer services across the regions. I look forward to working closely with Professor McNamara as she takes up this critical position and as we, together, work on the future of cancer care in Ireland."

Speaking following her appointment, Professor McNamara set out her priorities for the NCCP: “My aim is to build on the strong foundations of the NCCP and provide national leadership for cancer control within Ireland’s regionalised health service.

“The NCCP team will continue to work alongside the extraordinary clinical workforce delivering cancer care across Ireland, using our expertise to support the regions in their responsibility to provide high-quality, equitable care.

“Working in collaboration, we will help support the Department of Health’s development of an ambitious new National Cancer Strategy which places patients and their families at its heart - spanning prevention, diagnosis, quality-assured treatment and survivorship, and focused ultimately on better outcomes for everyone affected by cancer in Ireland.”

Welcoming the appointment, Dr Colm Henry, CCO, HSE, said: “As National Director, Professor McNamara will lead the NCCP at an important point in the evolution of Ireland's cancer services, as we work to consolidate access and quality of care across the six new HSE Health Regions and turn towards the development of the next National Cancer Strategy.

“Her appointment brings significant experience of leading clinical change across complex healthcare systems and a strong record of bringing clinicians, patients, policymakers and health service leaders together around a shared objective: delivering safe, equitable and high-quality care, and improving outcomes for patients.”