Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 21 Mar 2002

Vol. 550 No. 5

Written Answers. - Cancer Screening Programme.

Gay Mitchell

Question:

127 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of vacant radiographer posts at each hospital to date; if delays in extending the BreastCheck and cervical screening programmes nation-wide are caused by radiographer shortages; his plans to increase the number of graduate radiographers each year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9651/02]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin):

Information on the number of radiographer vacancies in hospitals throughout the country is not routinely gathered by my Department. The situation, as advised by the ERHA and the health boards, at the end of 2001 in relation to radiographer vacancies is set out as follows.

Hospitals	VacantRadiographer Posts
ERHA
Beaumont	5.5
Mater	2
St. James's	4
St. Vincent's	10

Hospitals	VacantRadiographer Posts
Midland Health Board
Tullamore General	2
North-Eastern Health Board
Cavan General Hospital	1
Our Lady Of LourdesHospital, Drogheda	2
South-Eastern Health Board
St. Joseph's Hospital, Clonmel	4.5
Waterford Regional Hospital	1
Southern Health Board
Hospital not specified	1.4

There are no radiographer vacancies in the Mid-Western, North-Western and Western health board areas.

While BreastCheck, the national breast screening programme, was unable to screen women as quickly as anticipated due to difficulties in recruiting sufficient specialised radiographers, this matter has since been resolved and BreastCheck is currently on target for completion of phase one of the programme, covering the ERHA, Midland and North-Eastern Health Board areas, by the end of December 2002. The decision to proceed on a phased basis is a reflection of the complexities involved in the screening process and my Department's key objective to ensure that the programme is driven by international quality assurance criteria and best practice. BreastCheck is currently in consultation with the health boards concerning the roll out of the programme nationwide. My Department will continue to support BreastCheck in moving to national coverage as soon as is practicably possible, having regard, in particular to the experience gained in putting phase one of the programme in place.

The national cervical screening programme requires no radiographer input. The chief executive officers of the health boards are currently examining the feasibility and implications of extending the programme nationwide.

My Department, along with the Department of Education and Science and the Higher Education Authority are currently addressing the issue of radiography staff shortages within the public health sector in the context of the provision of additional places on existing radiography courses. This resulted in an increase of 150%, plus 15 places, in therapeutic radiography places in Trinity College, Dublin in 2001. The expert group report on radiography grades, published in July, 2001, endorses this important step and reaffirms the need the assess the requirement to further increase student places. The report also includes a number of key recommendations to improve career structure, boost retention and promote continuing professional development.

Question No. 128 answered with Question No. 117.