February 2004
Cecilia Keaveney makes Representations on Women's Cancer Issues
Cecilia Keaveney raised matters relating to women's cancer issues
in the Dail recently. The Minister for Health & Children, Micheál
Martin said that it could be up to four years before the BreastCheck
breast cancer screening programme is up and running in the North
West and women in the region can expect to wait up to sixteen weeks
for the results of cervical smears.
The national roll-out of BreastCheck, which the Minister announced
last year, requires detailed planning to include essential infrastructure.
The BreastCheck clinical unit in the Western area will be at University
College Hospital Galway, with two associated mobile units. The area
of coverage is counties Galway, Sligo, Roscommon, Donegal, Mayo,
Leitrim, Clare and Tipperary NR.
A Capital Project Team has been established to develop a brief
for the capital infrastructure needed for the static unit in the
the West. BreastCheck submitted a number of options for the construction
of this unit on the grounds of University College Hospital, Galway.
"This is being considered by my Department in the context of
the framework for capital investment 2004-2008 and is being discussed
with the Department of Finance at present", he added.
Noting that many delays are caused by a lack of qualified radiographers,
Minister Martin stated a Training Centre for Radiographers and Mammography
is being set up at Eccles Street. Resources are being made available
to BreastCheck to support this initiative, which will cost in excess
of €750,000, and the centre is expected to be completed in
the second half of 2004. The Minister advised that any woman irrespective
of her age or residence who has immediate concerns or symptoms should
contact her GP who, where appropriate, will refer her to the symptomatic
services in her area.
He also told Deputy Keaveney that the current waiting time in the
North Western Health Board region in respect of cervical smears
is 4 weeks for priority smears and 16 weeks for routine smears.
He promised that The North Western Health Board will continue to
make efforts to reduce the waiting times further.
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