Denis Naughten
Question:11 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Health and Children the reasons for the ongoing delays in implementing the national cancer screening programme. [2087/98]
Written Answers. - National Cancer Screening Programme.
The implementation of national cancer screening programmes is a major undertaking which requires careful planning and organisation. From my Department's perspective, of particular concern is the need to achieve acceptable compliance levels and at the same time to satisfy the necessary quality assurance criteria.
The Deputy will be aware that in March 1997, the then Minister announced the introduction of a major action plan to implement the proposals contained in the National Cancer Strategy. Included in the plan were proposals for the introduction on a phased basis of national breast and cervical cancer screening programmes.
A major challenge facing both programmes was the need to establish a named population register which would comply with the data protection requirements. However, I am pleased to say that following the passage of the Health Provision No. 3 Act 1997 and subsequent correspondence with the Data Protection Commissioner, we are now in a position to proceed with the establishment of registers for the two programmes. Work is well advanced on this issue and it is hoped to have the registers in place by April-May 1998.
Since the launch of the Cancer Action Plan, there have been a number of other important developments. In relation to breast screening, these include: the establishment of a National Steering Group, chaired by Dr. Sheelah Ryan, chief executive officer, Western Health Board, to guide the implementation of the National Programme of Screening for Breast Cancer; the establishment of a National Quality Assurance Committee, chaired by Professor Ennis, Consultant Radiologist, Mater Hospital, as a subcommittee of the steering group. The committee is representative of experts from all the relevant clincial disciplines; the decision to appoint a project director for the programme. Dr. Jane Buttimer, Deputy Chief Medical Officer at the Department of Health and Children was appointed as project director for the programme in December 1997 and will take up her duties shortly.
A key development in recent months was a decision by the breast screening steering committee on a model of delivery for phase I of the programme. It has been agreed that there will be two central units based at the Mater and St. Vincent's, where the screening, assessment and treatment of women will be carried out using a multi-disciplinary team approach involving the relevant clinical disciplines, including the screening radiologist. In addition, there will be two mobile units to bring the screening services to the women in the more remote-rural areas within the three health boards in phase I. Each mobile unit will be linked with one of the central units. This should ensure uniformity of standards and continuity of care.
In relation to cervical screening, an advisory committee has been set up to oversee the establishment of a pilot programme. It is considered necessary to plot the cervical screening programme to identify and resolve any difficulties which may arise.
Taking into account the lead in time involved in the development of IT systems, the establishment of the population registers and the recruitment of consultant and support staff, I am advised that we should be in a position to start both screening programmes by September 1998. I am committed to making the necessary resources available to the programmes to facilitate the commencement of screening in 1998. Substantial funding has been made available in 1998 to meet the start up costs for both programmes.