Vol. 529 No. 1
523 Ms Clune asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will implement the recommendations made in the report entitled the Development of Services for Symptomatic Breast Disease; the time scale envisaged in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1023/01]
The report on the Development of Services for Symptomatic Breast Disease was prepared by a subgroup of the National Cancer Forum. It recommends the development of centres of excellence for the specialist treatment of breast disease. The report refers to the strong evidence which exists that women with breast cancer are at a lower risk of relapse and have a better opportunity of long-term survival if they are treated in a multidisciplinary setting. This means that surgeons, radiologists, pathologists, medical oncologists, radiotherapists, plastic surgeons, nurses, counsellors and others all bring expertise together to provide the best care for each patient.
Having considered the report, I established an expert advisory group to assist and liaise with health boards in formulating the health boards implementation plans for the development of specialist breast units. This advisory group under the chairmanship of Professor Niall O'Higgins met with all health boards towards the end of last year. The health boards are now formulating their plans for the development of the services in their own regions and a number of submissions have been received from health boards which are under consideration by my Department.
I am pleased to inform the Deputy that I allocated £4.315 million from national cancer strategy funding in the current year to enable the development of centres of excellence to commence in the Eastern Regional Health Authority area, in Portlaoise General Hospital, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, Waterford Regional Hospital, University College Hospital Galway and in the Southern Health Board area. The development of centres of excellence for the treatment of breast disease will continue over a period of a number of years and will form part of the next phase of implementation of the national cancer strategy. I am committed to providing the best, safest and most effective treatment for women and, in so doing, provide the best opportunity for long-term survival to those who are found to have breast cancer.
