Vol. 492 No. 2
114 Mrs. Owen asked the Minister for Health and Children the action, if any, he will take to speed up the appointment time for women who are seeking to have mammograms; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that none of the Dublin hospitals can take appointments in less than three or four months from the date of request for an appointment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13779/98]
Waiting times for mammograms vary between hospitals depending on the urgency of cases. Urgent appointments are seen as quickly as possible and while the demand for mammograms is high, hospitals make every effort to cater for women seeking appointments as soon as possible. Where a woman is concerned at the length of time she has to wait, she can ask her general practitioner to discuss her case with a consultant radiologist, who decides the priority of cases.
I am very conscious of the importance of mammography services and I am strongly committed to developing mammography services in the context of the national cancer strategy.
