The Minister for Health is to meet Karl Henry, the husband of a woman who died after her breast cancer was misdiagnosed at Ennis General Hospital.
Speaking this morning, Mary Harney said cancer reform is needed in light of misdiagnosis instances such as that of Mr Henry's wife, Ann Moriarty.
She said mammography services at the hospital were suspended to improve patient safety.
She also said reform was needed to ensure greater safety for patients and to deliver the highest possible care at eight specialist centres.
In June 2007, an X-ray was misread at Ennis and according to the HSE 'a radiologist failed to identify something highly suggestive of a metastatic lesion'.
Two months later, Ms Moriarty attended the hospital's accident and emergency department.
Another X-ray was performed and she was discharged from A&E with a prescription for an upset stomach.
In mid-August, Mr Henry took her to Galway Clinic for a second opinion where cancer was found to have spread to a number of organs. She died in April this year.
Ms Harney said instances such as the most recent cancer misdiagnosis are rare and attract a lot of publicity.
She said people reporting such cases needed to make sure they did not inspire a lack of confidence in the health system.
She also said in the past a case such as the late Ms Moriarty's would have been swept under the carpet.
The matter is being investigated and dealt with out in the open, she said.
