Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 5 February 2015
230. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Health his plans to address the safety and current design of mammogram machines; the number of mammogram machines available; and the age and lifespan of these machines [5313/15]
View answerSafety is of paramount importance to the BreastCheck programme, which has high quality control standards in place for the management of its 30 screening mammography machines. These are set out in the Guidelines for Quality Assurance in Mammography Screening and are consistent with those of the European Reference Organisation for Quality Assured Breast Screening and Diagnostic Services (EUREF), the EU standard.
BreastCheck is voluntarily accredited and the entire BreastCheck programme is subject to external review by EUREF.
Routine quality monitoring and audits are performed including rigorous technical quality assurance by medical physicists, twice annually, to ensure conformance with EUREF quality standards. The machines are covered by comprehensive maintenance contracts, which ensure optimal operation according to specification.
BreastCheck have set out an optimal life span of eight years for screening mammography machines. The current age of mammography machines in place range from November 2007 to December 2014. BreastCheck commenced a rolling replacement programme in 2014 which will see all mammography machines refreshed by 2017.
