Michael Ring
Ceist:5 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Health and Children the progress made in implementing the policy on the future of the breast cancer unit of Mayo General Hospital. [25388/01]
Ceisteanna–Questions. Priority Questions. - Cancer Treatment Services.
At the request of my predecessor, the previous Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Cowen, the National Cancer Forum established a sub-group to examine the provision of services for women with symptomatic breast disease. The sub-group was tasked with assessing the impact on the existing diagnostic services for benign and malignant breast disease in the light of the national breast cancer screening programme; the increase in the target population; the increased awareness of the importance of breast screening; and the current and evolving technologies in the area of breast screening.
The sub-group was also asked to make recommendations to the Minister on the diagnostic services for symptomatic breast disease necessary to meet projected increased needs; the need to develop associated services in radiotherapy, medical oncology, counselling and other support services; the resources required to develop these services; and the principles that should underlie the organisation and delivery of services for breast disease.
As part of the work of the sub-group, the regional directors of cancer services were asked for information concerning their current service and their views were sought on how the service should be developed in their region. In addition, members of the sub-group visited each region. The consensus view regarding best practice in the management of breast disease was presented to regional representatives and their views on how this could be achieved in their region were sought.
The sub-group considered that although services should be delivered as close to the patient's home as is feasible, the over-riding priority should be to provide the best, safest and most effective treatment for women and, in so doing, provide the best opportunity for long-term survival for those found to have breast cancer.
When I received the report of the sub-group on the development of services for symptomatic breast disease, I established an advisory group under the chairmanship of Professor Niall O'Higgins to assist the health boards in formulating their plans for the development of services for symptomatic breast disease. This group met with Western Health Board officials and clinicians following which the board considered the development of specialist breast disease services and adopted a plan for this development which includes the provision of breast cancer services at Mayo General Hospital.
The board's proposals for the development of symptomatic breast disease in the Western Health Board area have been the subject of extensive consideration by my Department and a number of meetings have been held with the Western Health Board to discuss same, most recently on 4 October last.
I will continue to work with the board to ensure a comprehensive and coherent approach to the development of services for symptomatic breast disease in the region.
The Minister did not answer the question I asked. What is the difference in the service this year as compared to last year? The Minister and the Taoiseach, aided by the Fianna Fáil spin machine and their 75 spin doctors and consultants, gave an undertaking that the service would be enhanced and upgraded. Since that commitment was given last year, Deputy Kenny and I have tabled several questions. I ask the Minister to specify the difference in the service as between last year and this year. What is the hold-up in his Department? Is somebody in the Department blocking this? Why is the money which the Minister committed not being spent, why is the service not being upgraded and what is happening?
I provided £1 million in last year's Estimate for the development of a breast cancer symptomatic centre in the Western Health Board region. Deputy Ring and others objected to the original proposal which was put forward by the sub-group of the National Cancer Forum and that, inevitably, caused some delay, despite the commitment I gave that there would be no downgrading of the facilities and services at Mayo General Hospital. In the intervening period, the health board had deliberated at length on this issue and came forward, towards the end of the summer, with proposals which are being assessed by the Department and the chief medical officer.
As well as Deputy Ring, all of the Mayo public representatives have argued cogently on behalf of Castlebar, including my Department colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Moffatt, Deputy Cooper-Flynn, Senator Chambers and others. We have already provided £6.4 million for improvements, under the cancer strategy, for the Western Health Board area, including Mayo, which has involved significant improvement in terms of medical oncology, palliative care, histopathology and haematology. Accordingly, there has been a very significant improvement, in recent years, in the service now available. I assure the Deputy that we are looking favourably at the proposals. We have to examine them in the context of the O'Higgins report and be satisfied that the criteria are met. The chief medical officer and others in the Department are dealing with the matter in that context. There have been meetings with the health board and I will revert to the Deputy shortly on the matter.
I make no apology for fighting, together with my colleagues, to retain the service we had. I did not agree with the O'Higgins report, which took the typical Dublin 4 approach of concentrating the services in centres such as Dublin, Galway etc. We want to hold such little service as we have. Mayo is a big county and people have to travel long distances. Is this being blocked in the Department? We have had public protests in the west on this issue. The Taoiseach got his first real impression of the situation in the health services during his tour of the country, especially from the women of County Mayo. Is the Department taking this out on the people of County Mayo by blocking the Minister's proposal? The Minister is well aware that there is something going on in his Department and I want an answer. If it is being blocked, the Minister should deal with it and instruct the Department officials to let the Castlebar arrangements go ahead.
The Deputy should stop playing politics with the issue. I know the Taoiseach was ambushed on the way to County Mayo and that a great hoo-ha was created. That is legitimate, if people want to do that. Deputy Kenny was particularly active on the ground on the issue. The Western Health Board has examined the matter in considerable detail and has come forward with proposals. Nobody is holding it up or taking it out on anybody. That is an outrageous allegation and I assure the Deputy that there is no foundation for it.
Nothing has happened. The Minister of State, Deputy Moffatt, should be banging the table.
He is doing more than banging the table.
(Interruptions.)
We must proceed to Question No. 6.