Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter and welcome the opportunity to speak about mammography services at Sligo Regional Hospital.

The Saolta University Health Care Group has decided that patients in the west-north west region who are recovering from breast cancer treatment will continue to attend University Hospital Galway for follow-up surveillance mammography services. This is a service decision for the hospital group and was not subject to Ministerial consent. This is a continuation of the service arrangements that have been in place since 2009. I am informed that this approach is supported by the National Cancer Control Programme as the most effective way of providing quality assured follow-up services to patients who have undergone surgery for breast cancer.

A comprehensive symptomatic breast cancer service is provided to patients from the west-north west region at the symptomatic breast unit based at Galway University Hospital, with a satellite service provided at Letterkenny General Hospital. This service is provided on the basis of clinical need and is in line with the criteria approved by the National Cancer Control Programme for breast cancer diagnostic and surgical services.

Following the reorganisation of breast cancer services into the eight designated cancer centres, GPs in Sligo were requested in 2009 to refer all new patients to Galway University Hospital. The breast symptomatic service in Galway has had excellent outcomes over recent years and patient satisfaction with the service is reported to be very high. The National Cancer Control Programme advises that provision of surveillance mammography at the location where the patient's surgery was carried out is in line with best international practice. This normally involves annual checks for a period of approximately five years. Meanwhile, other cancer services continue to be provided at Sligo Regional Hospital, including the provision of chemotherapy services. Also, approximately 500 inpatients, 5,200 day cases and 2,700 outpatients are treated, between oncology and haematology services at Sligo Regional Hospital each year. Services are provided to patients from across the catchment area of Sligo, Leitrim, South Donegal, west Cavan and parts of Mayo. The service in Sligo is committed to consistently achieving high quality evidenced based care for the management of cancer patients and patients with non-malignant blood disorders.

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