Bernard Allen
Ceist:303 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children if he has received a submission from Cork University Hospital for the extension of the breast screening programme. [23152/00]
Written Answers. - Hospital Services.
No submission has been received in my Department from Cork University Hospital concerning the extension of the national breast screening programme. However, I would like to take this opportunity to inform the Deputy of progress to date with regard to the implementation and future plans of the programme.
The Deputy will be aware that in March 1997 the then Minister announced the introduction of a major action plan to implement the proposals contained in the national cancer strategy. Included in the plan were proposals for the introduction on a phased basis of a national breast screening programme. Phase I will cover the eastern, north eastern and midland health board areas and will target 136,000 women in the age cohort 50 to 64, which represents approximately 50% of the national target population.
The decision to proceed on a phased basis is a reflection of the complexities involved in the screening process rather than the costs involved and my Department's key objective is to ensure that the Irish programme meets the necessary quality assurance criteria. It is for this reason that the Irish national breast screening programme must be driven by international quality assurance standards and best practice.
Specifically the phasing will take account of the following critical success factors: the achievement of acceptable compliance levels among the target population; on-going evaluation of the programme from a quality assurance perspective; and availability of the necessary clinical expertise to conduct the programme.
The service is being delivered by two central units, the Eccles unit on the Mater Hospital campus and the Merrion unit on St. Vincent's Hospital campus, with outreach to the community by means of three mobile units. The Eccles unit is now fully commissioned and screening commenced there in February 2000. Limited screening is also in progress in St. Vincent's Hospital pending the construction of the new Merrion unit. In addition, the first mobile screening commenced on 21 August 2000 in Longford.
Decisions in relation to subsequent phases of the programme will be guided by the experience gained from putting Phase I of the programme in place. Phase II will involve the extension of the programme to the rest of the country. The steering committee has recommended that Phase II of the programme should follow Phase I as soon as is practicable.
I am conscious of the importance of early access to symptomatic mammography services and of the provision of an equivalent standard of excellence in both symptomatic and screening mammography services. At my request, a review of the symptomatic breast cancer services has been undertaken by the National Cancer Forum. I have received this report and it is currently under consideration.
Bernard Allen
Ceist:304 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children the proposals there are to incorporate tele-medicine initiatives to link departments in different hospitals. [23153/00]
I am anxious to ensure that the potential benefits of modern telecommunications technologies are exploited to the greatest extent possible in the provision of health care. To this end, my Department has stressed to the health agencies the important role which these technologies can play in supporting health service delivery. Under the national development plan, the level of investment in information and communications technology, ICT, has been significantly increased and health agencies have been requested to ensure that a high priority is given to enabling services to be delivered at the most appropriate location, supported by relevant ICT initiatives, such as tele-medicine applications. A number of telecommunications projects, including tele-medicine projects, have already been successfully piloted. My Department, in conjunction with health agencies, is currently working on the development of an overall e-health strategy which is expected to include provision for the development of a range of tele-medicine and related projects.
Bernard Allen
Ceist:305 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children if all public hospitals are carrying out quality improvement programmes; if he has received a report on the quality improvement programme in each hospital; and the hospitals that have not yet reported to him on their programme. [23154/00]
The provision of quality in health care is a cornerstone of health policy. In this regard, I am pleased to inform the Deputy that my Department is supporting a range of important initiatives across the health sector which focus on quality improvement. Examples of these national initiatives include the introduction of a hospital accreditation programme, governance and management development, risk management, clinicians in management, clinical audit, patient advocacy and the development of hospital performance indicators. My Department does not routinely collect quality improvement reports in respect of individual hospitals.