Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 52 and 74 together.

I am pleased to confirm that work has already begun on putting a national colorectal screening programme in place. The programme will initially be offered to men and women aged between 60 and 69 years. Screening will commence in early 2012 following an intensive period of preparation.

Colorectal cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer among men and women in Ireland. Approximately 2,200 new cases are diagnosed and approximately 1,000 people die from the disease each year. A successful national screening programme has the potential to reduce mortality from this cancer significantly.

The programme will be provided by the National Cancer Screening Service. The immediate focus in preparing the programme is on colonoscopy capacity, accreditation and training. Based on expected uptake and incidence rates, it is estimated that approximately 6,000 colonoscopies will take place each year within the screening programme. Approximately 59,000 colonoscopies are performed in the public hospital system annually.

Last December the National Cancer Screening Service invited 37 publicly funded hospitals, which provide endoscopy services, to submit expressions of interest to be considered as a screening centre. Between ten and 12 screening centres will be required by the programme. Some 28 hospitals have now expressed an interest in participating in a national programme. One of the criteria for hospitals wishing to participate in the programme is that they reduce waiting times for urgent colonoscopies to fewer than four weeks prior to the initiation of the screening programme.

The National Cancer Screening Service is now preparing to undertake a baseline analysis of each hospital endoscopy unit. The outcome of the baseline analysis visits will identify potential areas for improvement and additional investment and staffing requirements. The National Cancer Screening Service will report these findings to my Department. It has already been decided that additional advanced nurse practitioners will be trained to provide additional capacity in the colonoscopy screening centres.

The screening programme will not be allowed to adversely affect waiting times for urgent colonoscopies in the symptomatic services. The need to comply with the four week time limit for urgent colonoscopies has been emphasised to the National Cancer Screening Service and the HSE and I am satisfied that there has been an enormous improvement in the capacity to deliver on this commitment.

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