Liz McManus
Ceist:285 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Health and Children her plans to extend BreastCheck to women over the age of 64; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14097/07]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 24 April 2007
Ceisteanna (269, 270, 271)
Róisín Shortall
Ceist:430 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Health and Children the reason women aged over 65 years are not entitled to free annual mammograms even in cases where they have medical cards; and if she will undertake to review this policy as a matter of urgency. [14695/07]
Amharc ar fhreagra
Willie Penrose
Ceist:432 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Health and Children the position regarding the planned roll-out of BreastCheck screening services in the Health Service Executive western region; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14718/07]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 285, 430 and 432 together.
The extension of BreastCheck is a major priority of mine and I am glad to advise the House of the commencement of BreastCheck services in the West. In advance of commissioning of the static unit in the West, BreastCheck has decided to locate a digital mobile unit at Roscommon County Hospital from Monday 30 April with a view to commencing a screening service on or about Thursday 3 May next. I would encourage all women who are invited by BreastCheck to avail of this important service.
I am committed to ensuring that the BreastCheck service is rolled out to the remaining regions in the country as quickly as possible. I have allocated additional revenue funding of €8 million for this year to meet the additional costs involved and I have approved an additional 69 posts for the roll-out. BreastCheck appointed the Clinical Directors for the South and West last November and has recently appointed three Consultant Radiologists, two Consultant Surgeons and two Consultant Histopathologists, all with a special interest in breast disease. The recruitment of Radiographers and other staff is underway.
I have also made available an additional €26.7m capital funding for the construction of two new clinical units and the provision of five additional mobile units and state of the art digital equipment. The static units at the South Infirmary/Victoria Hospital in Cork and University College Hospital Galway are on schedule for hand-over in September followed by a three week commissioning period. They will be operational in October.
BreastCheck provides free screening to all women in the 50-64 age group. The expert advice from BreastCheck and from the National Cancer Forum, as contained in its National Strategy for Cancer Control, is that following the national extension of the current programme, the upper age limit should be extended to women aged 69 years. The priority of BreastCheck is to screen women who have not yet been screened and accordingly it is fully focussed at present on the commencement of the first round of screening in the West and South. I will consider extending the age limit as recommended when the national roll-out of the programme is sufficiently developed and it is assured that a quality service is being delivered. Any woman irrespective of her age who has immediate concerns or symptoms should contact her GP who, where appropriate, will refer her to the symptomatic services in her area. Mammograms are available free of charge on an outpatient basis.