The chairperson of an expert group on breast cancer services says the present situation could probably have been prevented if the group’s plan for specialist centres had been implemented seven years ago.
Consultant oncologist Prof Niall O’Higgins, who chaired the group that produced a report on cancer services in Ireland in 2000, says the likelihood of error is always present when specialist centres are not in place.
The report, which proposed the establishment of a reduced number of regional, multi-disciplinary centres, was accepted by the then Minister, Micheál Martin, and was subsequently passed by the Cabinet.
However, to date no action has been taken on the plan.
In May 2007 the current Minister for Health & Children, Mary Harney, launched the Quality Assurance Standards for Symptomatic Breast Disease Services which followed on from the 2000 report, and was again chaired by Prof O'Higgins.
These standards were subsequently mandated by the Health Information and Quality Authority, and an implementation plan for the standards is currently being developed by the Health Service Executive.
The HSE was due to publish the plan by the end of August.
