Vol. 483 No. 2
113 Ms Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Health and Children the resources, if any, he intends to make available to the breast cancer treatment clinic in St. Vincent's Hospital, Dublin 4 in order to further develop that service in view of the great demands currently being placed on it. [19813/97]
A series of measures have been put in place in recent years to reduce pressure on the breast clinic at St. Vincent's Hospital and further improvements are planned.
In 1996, my Department provided additional funds to the hospital to facilitate the introduction of new nurse-led clinics. The hospital has informed me that waiting times at the breast clinic have improved. The hospital management and the breast clinic staff are doing everything possible to try to alleviate waiting times and to improve services. The hospital has stressed that women referred to the clinic who require urgent appointments are given appointments within a week.
The Deputy will be aware that the major capital upgrading programme approved for St. Vincent's Hospital at a cost of approx. £50 million includes provision for the complete upgrading of the breast clinic. This work is scheduled to commence towards the end of 1998.
The Deputy will also be pleased to know that as part of the Department's national breast screening programme, I have, in recent weeks, made available a sum of £360,000 to St. Vincent's Hospital against the cost of the priority equipment items identified for phase 1 of the programme. I am satisfied that this funding will impact favourably on the delivery of services at the breast clinic at St. Vincent's.
