06/03/2008

Ministers Face Questioning Over Cancer Reports

The Minister for Health, Mary Harney, and the Chief Executive of the HSE, Professor Brendan Drumm, will face tough questioning over cancer treatment services when they appear before the Oireachtas Health Committee at Leinster House today.

The meeting follows yesterday's publication of three reports into the breast cancer misdiagnosis scandel at the Midland Regional Hospital at Portlaoise.

One of report authors, Dr Ann O'Doherty, said there was a high level of breast misdiagnosis at Portlaoise but women should attend centres of excellence for treatment.

No individuals have been blamed for the blunders that led to nine women being mistakenly given the all-clear for cancer but the reports were severely critical of the HSE.

Opposition politicians have already attacked Health Minister Harney and Professor Drumm for failing to accept responsibility for the situation, however they have said their plan to introduce centres of excellence for cancer patients would ensure such scenarios do not recur.

(GK/JM)




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