Cancer screening - Harney’s healthcare failure

THE astonishing revelation that a woman, who had undergone surgery for ovarian cancer, has been given a breast check appointment for 11.33am on Tuesday, April 15, 2008, is absolutely outrageous.

What an appalling way to treat any woman, especially someone with a history of cancer.

More than words can tell, this frightening scenario reflects the unacceptable face of a health service in which thousands of women are being denied early breast check screening because this Government has fallen years behind in rolling out the scheme in large parts of the country.

Thanks to local politician Aileen Pyne, a member of both Cork County Council and Fermoy Town Council, this appalling scenario is now under the full glare of the spotlight.

Ms Pyne, a member of the Health Service Executive (HSE) is to be commended for her courage in putting the distressing facts of her personal predicament into the public arena.

Having had ovarian surgery in February 2001, because of the obvious risk, her GP sought an appointment for breast cancer screening. On opening her diary, however, she realised the Tuesday did not correspond with the date, and then discovered to her horror that the appointment was not for 2006 but 2008.

She explained: “I am despairing. Not just because this is happening to me but because it is also happening to a lot of other women around the country.”

As the BreastCheck scheme will not be available in Munster until late in 2007, the question being asked is how many other women will be put in jeopardy because of this country’s utterly inadequate health service?

For tens of thousands of women throughout the country, the depressing situation is that the so-called national BreastCheck service is not yet available in either the mid-west, the north-west or in the south of the country. As far as 100,000 women in Munster are concerned, it will not be provided in their region until late 2007.

In the meantime, the HSE has conceded it is losing the battle to reduce overcrowding as A&E units continue to be stretched to breaking point, forcing patients to lie on trollies in hospital corridors for days on end.

Today’s harrowing account of Aileen Pyne’s personal encounter with cancer, and in particular her failure to obtain an early breast check appointment, is a shocking comment on the Coalition’s abysmal failure to reform a health service where 29,000 people are still on hospital waiting lists across the State.

Cancer sufferers and potential victims of this killer disease should be an absolute priority of the health service. The ongoing lack of adequate resources for cancer treatment outside of the Dublin region is a damning indictment of this Government.

And it is a scathing comment on the failure of Tánaiste and Health Minister Mary Harney to deliver on her promise to create a world-class health service in Ireland.