Frances Fitzgerald
Ceist:78 Ms Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will make a statement on delays in the extension of the breast check service due to staff shortages. [5490/01]
Written Answers. - Cancer Screening Programme.
I am pleased to report to the Deputy that since phase 1 of the BreastCheck programme commenced last year, more than 20,000 women have been invited for screening. Recent figures available to BreastCheck show that the uptake levels by women are on the increase.
The extension of BreastCheck outside the Eastern Regional Health Authority, Midland Health Board and North Eastern Health Board areas is dependent on highly skilled radiographers being available for screening. Because of a current shortage of suitably skilled radiographers, BreastCheck has taken a number of initiatives to address this issue. BreastCheck has advertised in Ireland, the UK and as far away as Australia to recruit the necessary trained staff. An attractive employment package is on offer for suitably qualified radiographers, together with the opportunity of working in state of the art facilities.
BreastCheck, in conjunction with the school of diagnostic imaging at the faculty of medicine, UCD has also set up a post-graduate diploma in mammographic imaging, the first of its kind in Ireland. This joint initiative aims to increase levels of mammographic trained radiographers in Ireland and share the experiences of BreastCheck with other mammography services.
It is the intention of my Department that phase 2 of the programme, which will involve the extension of BreastCheck nation-wide, should follow phase 1 as soon as is practicably possible. The decision to proceed on a phased basis is a reflection of the complexities involved in the screening process and it is essential that the programme is driven by international quality assurance criteria and best practice.
Question No. 79 answered with Question No. 36.