Vol. 512 No. 1
184 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will make a statement on the recent survey carried out as part of a trans-European study that many women were dissatisfied with the quality of information, communication and support systems during treatment for breast and gynaecological cancers. [25610/99]
I welcome the recently published trans-European survey in which over 700 Irish women participated. The study identified a number of important, very positive findings in relation to the Irish cancer services, as well as areas in which there is a general acceptance about the need for improvements. Among the key findings of the survey are: the majority of women were extremely satisfied or quite satisfied with the way in which their diagnosis was communicated, the time spent in the explanation, the openness of doctors and nurses, the opportunity to ask questions and the information provided; the majority of women were extremely satisfied or quite satisfied with the information received about their treatment and with the care they received in hospital; over one third of women surveyed received their diagnosis within a week of seeking medical attention, and within three weeks two thirds of women had been informed; levels of satisfaction with the overall care received in hospital and with medical and nursing staff were extremely high, 95 per cent.
The survey identified a number of areas for improvement including the following findings: women are relatively uniformed about cancer prior to diagnosis; communication between hospitals and general practitioners could be improved; a significant proportion of women were dissatisfied with the interval between seeking medical attention and the communication of a diagnosis in the case of breast cancer and gynaecological cancer; while very satisfied with the information and care received, women were less satisfied with waiting times for treatment, particularly for radiotherapy.
The findings of the survey are extremely useful and will be considered by the National Cancer Forum when advising me further about the development of cancer services. Since the implementation of the national cancer strategy commenced in 1997, this Government and the previous Government have allocated a total of £26 million in additional funding to cancer services. I will be allocating further substantial funding in 2000 in a way that will help to address the issues raised by the recent survey. This will include additional resources for the programmes of screening for breast cancer and cervical cancer, and such areas as diagnostic and treatment services for women with symptomatic breast disease.
I am committed to developing further our cancer services so that all who need them will receive the best possible service in the most appropriate location.
