Harney Guarantees Cancer Services

The Minister for Health has issued a 'guarantee' on the performance of her department on cancer services.

The move is in response to the latest news that calls into question the operation of the Irish Health Service.

Mary Harney (pictured) said she understands that the 900 patients waiting for colonoscopies – as was indicated by the HSE report - were not emergency cases.

She said that she is "certain" that by the end of this year, anyone who needs an urgent colonoscopy would receive it during the designated time.

Harney added that she had made colonoscopies a priority in the Health Service Executive service plan for this year and that she receives a monthly report on the issue.

The Minister also responded to the revelations that the Waterford Regional Hospital's Breast Cancer Centre of Excellence, failed to meet several required standards.

She said that none of the eight centres met the criteria when selected. However, she explained that Professor Tom Keane, who is responsible for the National Control Programme, had told her that by the end of the year Ireland's breast cancer service would be one of the top three in the world.

The Minister has being speaking at the launch of a report by the National Cancer Registry.

It has found that survival rates for cancer sufferers across the island of Ireland are rising, but so too are the numbers of cases being diagnosed.

BreakingNews.ie has reported today that cancer survival rates in the North are 4% higher than in the rest of Ireland, according to a study examining cancer incidence, survival and treatment on both sides of the border between 1994 and 2004.

See: Long Waiting Times In Irish Hospitals

(AC/BMcC)