Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)

Does the Minister of State believe the best interests of the women of Cork are served by transferring the breast unit at the South Infirmary-Victoria University Hospital to Cork University Hospital, CUH, where the treatment experience of breast disease is much less significant? Does she believe the closure of the internationally acclaimed unit in favour of a service that is yet ill-defined constitutes progress in patient care?

The services at the hospital are recognised internationally to be in accordance with best practice. Instead of dismantling the existing unit and moving it to an already over-congested campus at CUH, we should be consolidating the good practice already established. As the saying goes, "If it ain't broken, don't fix it." We have a centre of excellence. To date, every evaluation and examination of the breast care unit at the South Infirmary-Victoria University Hospital has shown it to be a leader in its field. This is particularly reflected in the fact that the current referral period for women availing of the service is no more than two or to three weeks. I am very concerned that any tampering with this excellent service will ultimately result in poorer provision, at a cost to the taxpayer that is completely avoidable at this stage.

Given the long delays in the arrival and opening of the BreastCheck service in Cork, which is located directly next door to the South Infirmary-Victoria University Hospital, the idea of transferring the cancer service unit to CUH makes no sense whatsoever. CUH campus is already becoming overdeveloped and congested, particularly in light of the Government's plans to co-locate a hospital on the campus. Any rational examination of this matter would clearly indicate that the existing cancer unit should not only remain where it is but should also be expanded. Given the economic downturn, why are we spending so much money relocating an existing service when it has proven to be working properly and effectively?

The Government is proposing to relocate a service in light of an ill-defined proposal that constitutes no progress in terms of patient care. I seriously urge the Minister of State to remove the idea from the table and consider the services currently in place with a view to improving and developing them.

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