As the Deputy will be aware, BreastCheck, the national breast screening programme commenced in March 2000 with phase one of the programme covering the Eastern Regional Health Authority, Midland Health Board and North-Eastern Health Board areas. Screening is being offered free of charge to all women in those areas in the target age group 50 to 64 years of age. The target population consists of approximately 136,000 women and it represents about 50% of the national target population. To end November 2002, 106,585 women had been called for screening and 79,906 women have been screened, representing an uptake of 75%.
Yesterday, I announced the extension of BreastCheck to a further three counties. I am committed to the national extension of BreastCheck. Approximately, 19,000 women in the 50-64 age bracket in Counties Wexford, Kilkenny and Carlow will be invited for screening. Approximately 9,500 per annum will be invited once the programme is fully operational in these counties. It is expected that approximately 60 additional cancers will be diagnosed and treated annually. In relation to the further expansion of the programme, the board of BreastCheck has submitted a business plan to my Department.
Two static units are proposed in host hospitals, one in Cork and the other in Galway at which breast surgery would be performed for women in the south, west, mid-west and north west. A number of key issues have been raised by health boards and health professionals in relation to the national roll out of BreastCheck which need to be addressed in advance of further expansion. I will be meeting with BreastCheck shortly to discuss these issues. The objective is to prepare an effective and cohesive model which is in the best interests of the women concerned and which builds on the quality standards of BreastCheck and the symptomatic services.
