Call to expand BreastCheck services in Bantry

MAKING breast cancer screening available to as many women as possible is a matter of life and death, the regional health forum meeting for the southern region heard yesterday.

The meeting, held in County Hall, saw wide support for a motion by Independent councillor Danny Collins “that the HSE provide the BreastCheck truck come to Bantry at least once a year if not more”.

Mr Collins noted that one of the mobile units comes to Bantry every 18 to 20 months, and will not return until the summer of 2025, saying some women will not be able to spare the time to make the long journey from West Cork to the city for a mammogram.

Midleton Fianna Fáil councillor Anne Marie Ahern said she fully supported Mr Collins’ motion, and she further suggested that the council writes to Health Minister Stephen Donnelly asking that the age for testing be reduced from 50 to 40, a move she said would save lives.

Carrigaline Fianna Fáil councillor Audrey Buckley said that two of her aunts had suffered breast cancer, and she described BreastCheck as “life and death for people”.

Fiona Murphy, chief executive officer of the National Screening Service, said the service has four static units and 24 mobile units working across the country, staying between three and five months in areas. She said that rather than making more visits to areas, what might be more helpful would be if the mobile units were able to stay for longer in some areas.

Ms Murphy said the service was currently looking at establishing a static location in Cork city, because doing so would allow a BreastCheck mobile unit to be freed up for visits outside of the city.

She said the screening service would be instigating a full review of the locations it visits in the county and how long it stays there. The service has asked Government to reduce the lower age for BreastCheck from 50 down to 45, Ms Murphy said, but, citing a lack of resources, she added it would not yet be possible to lower the age to 40.

Mr Collins said he would welcome a review of the BreastCheck service in the county.