Seven women diagnosed with cancer after review

Seven women have been diagnosed with breast cancer after initially being given the all-clear by the Midland Regional Hospital in Portlaoise.

The women were among a group of 45 recalled for second tests by the Health Service Executive (HSE) after concerns were raised at the hospital about the cancer treatment services.

Around 2,900 mammograms, conducted between November  2003 to August 2007, were reviewed by a team led by consultant radiologist Dr Anne O'Doherty.  Some 250 of these diagnoses were re-examined and out of this 45 people were recalled for further tests.

The HSE said "to date" seven of the 45 had been diagnosed with some form of breast cancer. A consultant radiographer at the hospital remains on administrative leave.

The HSE has apologised to the women, saying: "We are very sorry for the anxiety that this review has caused to patients and their families."

Minister for Health Mary Harney has expressed her "deep concern at the events".

In a statement released this evening she said: "These events are very traumatic for the women involved and for their families and I wish to express my sincere sympathy for the considerable distress and hurt caused."

She added that the women will be provided "with all necessary treatment, services and counselling as a matter of urgency" and said "it is critical that the review be completed as quickly as possible so that uncertainty being experienced by any patient should be removed."

Ms Harney has also said she will seek a report from the HSE on an incident in the Mid-West Regional Hospital in Limerick on Tuesday last week.  A teenage girl was left waiting to be taken to an operating theatre because there were no porters available. Her parents eventually helped bring her to the theatre.

The hospital employs 53 porters in total.  Eight rang in sick that day and three were on long-term leave.

Fine Gael's spokesman on health Dr James Reilly, has described the situation as "outrageous" and said Ms Harney repeatedly washes her hands any responsibility.

"It is absolutely outrageous that a teenage girl with internal bleeding should be left waiting to be brought to theatre because of some nonsense about 'demarcation' and we can only be grateful that she is now making a good recovery," said Dr Reilly.

Dr Reilly added that after the Barrington's Hospital inquiry, which was called for in August and will analyse the results of 400 cancer patients treated at the Limerick facility, the news from Portlaoise was "absolutely devastating for the women in question" and "points to a major systems failure in this area".

"I am alarmed that, when confronted with these serious problems the Minister expresses deep shock and generally gives the impression that she has nothing to do with it. Then she seeks reports from the very managers who seem to have lost control of basic functions in the health services.

"We have an increasingly chaotic and dysfunctional health service which the Minister and her managers are presiding over and when faced with the problems they've created their response is to wring their hands while continuing to swell their own wage packets," he added.

Meanwhile, the Irish Nurses Organisation says there are 47 patients currently waiting on trolleys and chairs in Beaumont Hospital Accident and Emergency alone.

The "high level of activity" has persisted for days, according to the INO, and is "routinely" delaying ambulances.

Speaking this morning Edward Mathews, INO Industrial Relations Officer said: "It is appalling that once again the public and staff, within this department, are suffering the effects of the ongoing A&E debacle.

"Every year it is identified that delayed discharges from the hospital will cause chaos in the A&E department, and every year we are promised more will be done.

"Yet again high numbers of delayed discharges are causing chaotic scenes, when will more be done?"