Vol. 485 No. 2
242 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of women who are on the waiting list for mammograms in St. Vincent's Hospital, Dublin 4; the length of time a woman has to wait for this appointment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23151/97]
Information on numbers waiting to attend the breast clinic is not routinely collected by my Department. I have asked the hospital to respond directly to the Deputy regarding waiting times. I understand that the procedure for women wishing to make an appointment for a mammogram at St. Vincent's is to first send in their GP's referral letter to the X-ray department of the hospital where it is assessed by a consultant radiologist who decides on the urgency of the case. When this assessment is complete, appointments are then posted out to patients. The waiting time for appointments for urgent cases is January 1998 and September 1998 for non-urgent cases. I would advise that if a patient is concerned at the length of time which she has to wait, then she should return to her GP who would be in the best position to stress the urgency of the case with the consultant radiologist concerned.
