The Mid-Western Health Board has said it is investigating a case in which a Limerick cancer patient had a mastectomy operation cancelled twice in the past week.
An operation for Mrs Peggy Kirwan (34) scheduled for last Thursday was cancelled at 15 minutes' notice because an anaesthetist was not available.
Mrs Kirwan said the operation was rescheduled for today, but her consultant, Mr David McAvinchey, told her on Tuesday that it would not be possible to carry it out until Saturday. Mrs Kirwan said she declined this offer because she was planning to attend her nephew's baptism on that day. The operation has now been rescheduled for Thursday next, September 2nd.
In a statement, the chief executive officer of the health board, Mr Stiofan de Burca, said Mrs Kirwan had been treated in an "unacceptable fashion".
Confirming that he had started an investigation, he said this would examine the administrative, medical and nursing aspects of the case.
A report would be presented as a matter of urgency to the next meeting of the board, said Mr de Burca. "The bottom line as far as I am concerned is that Mrs Kirwan was treated in an unacceptable fashion and I am determined that there will be no repetition of such an incident."
Mrs Kirwan said no explanation had been offered for the second cancellation.
She claimed Mr McAvinchey made a telephone call during a consultation last Tuesday to ensure everything was in order for the operation scheduled for today. "He asked if everything was OK for Thursday and the next thing I heard him say `Oh, Saturday morning'."
"He couldn't offer an explanation. He said `Saturday morning' and I said `No'."
In a statement, Mr McAvinchey said there was some discussion on other dates for the procedure.
The health board statement said that discussions "had included the feasibility of an earlier date". A spokesman said he could offer no further comment on the second cancellation as discussions between a doctor and patient were confidential.
Mrs Kirwan said her three children would be back at school next week, which would leave her without home support if her husband did not take time off work to help her. "We were trying to avoid that," she said.
She said she had campaigned for better cancer facilities in the mid-west region for three years as a result of other family experiences. She was an unsuccessful Labour Party candidate at the local elections in June.