Ahern denies systems failure at Portlaoise

There was no systems failure involved in Portlaoise hospital in the controversy over the misdiagnosis of breast cancer, the Dáil was told.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said: "I'm told it isn't a systems failure", and added that a review of the 3,026 cases in Portlaoise would be completed by this week, and a report published by the end of the month.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny claimed the Taoiseach had presided over a systems failure, while Labour leader Eamon Gilmore said Mr Ahern was talking as if he had been head of Government for 10 weeks rather than 10 years.

However, Mr Ahern said "we should get a level of cop on here".

"If we want to politicise it we can politicise it". What was needed was to "maximise the investment in state-of-the-art places with full multidisciplinary teams". Mr Kenny, who raised the issue, said "I believe that the HSE is but a tool of the Government. This is your policy, and your policy has failed eight women that we know of in the midlands."

Mr Kenny also referred to an RTÉ report that a letter from Portlaoise hospital's radiology department, written in December, stated that to avoid litigation there was a need to replace equipment in Portlaoise as a matter of urgency.

Mr Ahern replied: "Every health unit in the country is looking for additional health technology every day of the week, but this could not be provided everywhere.

"We have taken on 70 senior breast cancer consultants in this country. For our size, our population, our geographical regional base, that is more than we require. The fact is we're not following best international practice because we were using 35 different locations."

The Minister for Health had been informed on August 29th that, following concerns raised by staff in the breast cancer service, the HSE had set up a review of all breast radiology in Portlaoise from November 2003 to August 2007.

All 3,026 mammograms had been reviewed. Some "234 women had their diagnosis status and clinical notes reviewed - 54 women were called to clinics. Of the 54 recalled, seven have been identified - there was another case which was not considered part of this review - as having a diagnosis of cancer," Mr Ahern said.

"At the beginning of this week 19 women were still to be reviewed. Of the 19 women, six have been referred to St Vincent's, four attended Monday and two are scheduled on Thursday.

"The review will be completed this week, and a full report published by the end of November."

Mr Gilmore said they were being asked to accept that everything was going to improve while centres of excellence were established, but they were recommended seven years ago and still had not happened.

"We've had nothing but continuing delay on the services being provided, and you and your Minister for Health and the Government are talking as if you're starting from day one, not as people who have been in charge of the dilapidation of this service for the past 10 years."

In the meantime 13 centres had been targeted for closure. "What's going to happen to the cancer services while you're closing the local centres and before you get around to setting up the centres of excellence?"

However, Mr Ahern said the 13 centres had dealt with fewer than 55 cases between them. Seventy consultants had been taken on in recent years "but the problem is they're too scattered".

"You're correct to say that the centres of excellence haven't worked, and I think we're all aware why that is, but the breastcheck screening programme last year alone 64,000 people have been screened."