Vol. 496 No. 3
300 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Health and Children if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the Eccles Street centre for mammograms is closed for further appointments and that patients awaiting attention at that clinic have to wait to be seen by a consultant before they can be referred to another clinic; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22908/98]
I have had inquiries made of the hospital authorities regarding this matter and I have been informed that the breast screening clinic at the Mater Misericordiae Hospital is booked up until the end of December but that appointments for January are available. I understand that patients who are considered urgent will be given an earlier appointment. I have been advised that patients are not required to see a consultant prior to referral to the clinic. However, the consultant radiologist in the hospital's breast screening clinic is responsible for the referral of patients to the surgical out-patients' department if they are in need of surgical intervention.
I am committed to developing mammography services in line with the principles of the national cancer strategy. In the Eastern Health Board area, the regional directors of cancer services are preparing proposals for the further development of services for the treatment of cancer, including breast cancer.
In addition to the provision of mammography services, work is continuing on the introduction of a formal breast screening programme aimed at detecting breast cancer in assymptomatic women. Phase 1 of the programme comprises the Eastern, Midland and North-Eastern Health Board areas. I am committed to starting the screening programme as soon as possible. To this end I have approved funding to date of £2 million to cover the start-up costs and minor capital equipment needs of the programme. In addition I recently approved a capital allocation of £1,035,000 towards the refurbishment of 36 Eccles Street, Mater Hospital, as a screening and assessment unit and also as headquarters of the programme, and a capital allocation of £897,750 towards the construction of screening unit facilities at St. Vincent's Hospital.
