AN Independent North
West MEP has hit out at the delays in bringing the
much-needed BreastCheck programme to the region.
Marian Harkin MEP said it was "disgraceful" that
BreastCheck would not be provided nationally before
the end of 2009.
“This is a further and disgraceful discrimination
against the women of the West and North West who
were told in 2001, in 2003 and in July 2005 that
BreastCheck was coming and now the promise of
delivery in Autumn 2007 has been cynically
disregarded”, she said.
“Women in the West and North West are having their
lives unnecessarily placed at risk by a health
policy whose one hand does not appear to know what
the other hand is doing”, she added.
Ms. Harkin also said there was a "worrying
difference of opinion" between the Minister of
Health and the HSE over the delivery timetable for
the National Radiotherapy Network.
"It is not acceptable that life-saving cancer
services will be deferred beyond the dates to which
she (Ms. Harney) has committed," added Ms. Harkin.
She again called on the Minister to make the West
and North West a pilot area for the extension of
BreastCheck to women aged 65 and over. “This is
necessary as one third of all breast cancers are
detected in women aged 65 years and over." |
