Vol. 543 No. 1
2 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Health and Children the steps he is taking to deal with the shortage of radiographers which is holding up the implementation of the BreastCheck screening programme; the number of radiographer posts vacant in the cancer services nationally, in the Eastern Regional Health Authority area and in the BreastCheck service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25604/01]
My Department, along with the Department of Education and Science and the Higher Education Authority, is currently addressing the issue of radiography staff shortages within the public health sector in the context of the provision of additional places on existing radiography courses. This has resulted in an increase of 150%, which is an additional 15 places, in the number of therapeutic radiography places in Trinity College Dublin this year and discussions are continuing regarding the provision of additional places in 2002. The Expert Group Report on Radiography Grades, published in July 2001, endorses this important step and reaffirms the need to assess the requirement to further increase student places. The report also includes a number of key recommendations to improve career structure, boost retention and promote continuing professional development.
A joint union and management radiography service review is currently examining how the provision of radiotherapy services can be improved to ensure the best use of trained personnel. I am aware that a six-fold increase, that is, approximately 160, in the level of overseas recruitment has taken place over the past year to address difficulties in filling current vacancies. In order to facilitate this development, my Department is working to streamline the process of validation of foreign qualifications and is continuing to identify and address any impediments to successful recruitment.
BreastCheck, the National Breast Screening Programme, as with many other sectors of the health services, has found it extremely difficult to recruit sufficient specialised radiographers. This shortage of staff has meant that the programme has been unable to screen women as quickly as anticipated. BreastCheck recognised this difficulty some time ago and took a number of initiatives to address this shortage, including running both national and international recruitment campaigns. This has resulted in the recruitment of additional radiographers to the programme and two-thirds of the radiographer posts within the BreastCheck programme are currently filled. BreastCheck continues to explore other recruitment possibilities and reports that the targets achieved in all other areas are exemplary in comparison with breast screening programmes in Holland, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
I am sorry if I missed something, but I asked a number of specific questions on vacant posts in the BreastCheck screening programme, in cancer services nationally and in the Eastern Regional Health Authority area and in the BreastCheck service to which I did not receive an answer. I did not get an answer to the question I tabled and I would like the Minister to explain why. He must be aware there is currently a shortage of radiographers in both the screening programme and symptomatic services for women with cancer. I presume he is aware – even though he cannot answer a simple statistical ques tion – that one in 30 women in Ireland get breast cancer, that the survival rate of Irish women is poor compared to many other countries and that screening is a vital part of the service. Will he explain to the House the incompetence in evidence in his approach whereby BreastCheck was set up, there are advertisements on a continual basis encouraging women to come forward and alerting them to the dangers, while at the same time the service which is in place is totally unable to meet the needs even of the targeted areas, apart from the areas outside those designated, for BreastCheck?
I represent County Wicklow which is part of the Eastern Regional Health Board area. The women of that county still have not been invited to come forward, nor do they know when they will get an appointment. The reason always given is that there is a shortage of radiographers. Is the Minister aware that training courses in UCD for radiographers have had to be cancelled because there is not sufficient staff to pass on the skills. I find his reply very inadequate given that when the Bacon report was considering the needs of other professionals in the health service, radiography was not even included, which the Minister might explain. He said an assessment was carried out. I only recall a press release prompted by comments I made on radio that there was an assessment done on needs.
When will there be a full complement of radiographers in BreastCheck? When will the women of County Wicklow get an appointment? When will women in areas outside the designated areas have a chance to avail of BreastCheck? Surely the Minister is aware that private patients who can afford to pay for these services can access screening without any difficulty and within a very reasonable time. However, vast numbers of women who do not have those means are being left in a limbo because of an insufficient number of radiographers. Will the Minister admit that the programme which was set up is inadequately staffed and has failed to deliver regardless of the excellent standard of the people working in the service.
I reject completely the charges levelled by the Deputy. I regard her language as a complete overstatement and unacceptable hyperbole in terms of her description of what has happened. I cannot produce radiographers overnight other than by overseas recruitment. An extra 160 have been appointed in the past year following overseas recruitment. Additional places have been provided in Trinity College and the situation in UCD, where there are difficulties, is being examined.
Embarking on a national BreastCheck programme in the first instance and expanding services creates additional demand for posts and so on. I could easily say to the Deputy that if plans were put in place in the early 1990s in terms—
We must proceed to Question No. 3.
How many in the symptomatic—
I said that two-thirds of the posts required for the BreastCheck service are in place.
I call on the Minister to deal with Question No. 3.
Significant development has taken place under BreastCheck and improved services are available for many women particularly in the areas concerned. Obviously there is a need for greater improvement.
