Marc MacSharry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

166. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to remove the BreastCheck unit from County Sligo in the near future; the reason this is the case; the reason patients based in the county are currently not being granted appointments in Sligo and are informed instead to select between Castlebar or Letterkenny; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15571/19]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

BreastCheck located one of their mobile screening units in Sligo Town (at Sligo Rovers football ground) from July 2018. This mobile unit recently finished screening in Sligo, having invited all eligible women in the area to attend for a free mammogram during the scheduled screening round. 

I would like to reassure women that BreastCheck is not withdrawing any services in Sligo and will return to the area in approximately 12 months time to invite women who are due breast screening to attend as part of the next screening round. 

If any woman is unable to attend their screening appointment during the time the mobile unit is located in their area, they are offered an opportunity to attend for a mammogram in the nearest screening location to them. They may opt to do this rather than wait until the mobile unit returns to their area in the next screening round. This allows them to receive a mammogram as close as possible to the time they were scheduled to attend for breast screening.