Olwyn Enright
Question:268 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Health and Children if and when he intends to extend the BreastCheck Programme to women over 64; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9612/03]
Written Answers - Cancer Screening Programme.
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 140,000 women and it represents about 50% of the national target population. By end December 2002, 110,636 women had been called for screening and 83,000 women had been screened. This represents an uptake of 75%.
In February, I announced the extension of BreastCheck to a further three counties. Approximately, 19,000 women in the 50 to 64 age bracket in Counties Wexford, Kilkenny and Carlow will be invited for screening. Last month, I announced further plans for the national extension of BreastCheck. The BreastCheck clinical unit in the Western area will be at University College Hospital Galway, with two associated mobile units. The area of coverage is counties Galway, Sligo, Roscommon, Donegal, Mayo, Leitrim, Clare and Tipperary North. The BreastCheck clinical unit in the southern area will be located at South Infirmary-Victoria Hospital, with three associated mobile units. Counties covered include Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Waterford and Tipperary South.
Under the extension, approximately 130,000 women in the target population 50 to 64 years of age will be eligible for screening. The programme expects to diagnose approximately 400 cancers per annum among this population.
Following such extension and when the programme is sufficiently developed and it is assured that a quality service can be delivered at national level, consideration will be given to including older women and continuing the screening of women already in the programme who have reached 65 years of age.
Any woman irrespective of her age or residence who has immediate concerns or symptoms should contact her GP who, where appropriate, will refer her to the symptomatic services in her area.
Olwyn Enright
Question:269 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of women who are within the targeted group for examination under the BreastCheck programme in each county in the Midland Health Board area, who have yet to be screened under the programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9613/03]
Olwyn Enright
Question:270 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of women who have been examined under the BreastCheck programme in each county in the Midland Health Board area for each year of operation since its inception; if he will provide this information in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9614/03]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 269 and 270 together.
The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following tables. This information has been supplied to my Department by BreastCheck, the national breast screening programme.
Table 1: Number of women targeted for screening
|
County |
Screening Round |
Number of Eligible Womento be Screened |
Dates of Screening in 2003 |
|
Longford |
2 |
2,700 |
April – May |
|
Westmeath |
2 |
5,495 |
June – Sept |
|
Offaly |
1 |
4,485 |
April – July |
|
Laois |
1 |
3,927 |
May – Aug |
Table 2: Number of women screened
|
County |
Screening Round |
Number of WomenInvited for Screening |
Number ofWomen Screened |
Dates of Screening |
|
Longford |
1 |
2,281 |
1,595 |
June – July 2000 |
|
Westmeath |
1 |
4,666 |
3,292 |
June – Sept 2001 |