Calls have been made to health authorities on both sides of the border to allow Northern Ireland patients access to CAR-T cell therapy in Dublin, following the tragic death of Newry woman Catherine Sherry earlier this year.
Catherine, a 42-year-old mother-of-three, died at King’s College Hospital in London while undergoing the specialist cancer treatment, despite the same therapy being available at St James’s Hospital in Dublin — just over an hour from her home.
Her husband, Fergal Sherry, has since led a campaign to change current policy, highlighting the emotional and physical toll of having to travel long distances for care.
“When you are going through cancer treatment you want your family near,” he recently told the BBC. He believes his wife could have received the therapy sooner had they lived elsewhere in the UK or had access to cross-border treatment in Dublin.
Now, speaking at a recent council meeting, SDLP Newry councillor Killian Feehan praised the Sherry family’s bravery and introduced a motion calling for immediate action.
“Nobody should have to go through what the Sherry family endured, especially when this life-saving treatment is available so close to home,” he said. “Cross-border services have worked in the past — CAR-T therapy should be no different.”
CAR-T cell therapy is a cutting-edge treatment that modifies a patient’s T-cells to fight cancer more effectively. Currently, patients from Northern Ireland must travel to Great Britain for the treatment, as it is not included in the new cross-border health scheme.
Feehan’s motion urges Health Ministers Mike Nesbitt in Northern Ireland and Jennifer Carroll MacNeill in the Republic to begin urgent negotiations to include the treatment in a new all-island framework, preventing other families from facing the same ordeal.
“This isn’t just a medical issue—it’s a human one,” said Feehan. “We need to ensure patients can receive vital care close to home, surrounded by those they love.”
