"Last year, the service target was for 195,000 people to be screened, but it performed only 137,134 checks. Meanwhile, the target for 2023 was to screen 185,000 people, whereas Breastcheck performed 166,532 screenings. In response to these figures, the HSE told RTÉ that the screening service is affected by a global shortage of radiology staff. A spokesperson for HSE said: "Despite these pressures, we are expanding capacity." They added; "Recruiting new consultants and radiographers, adding mobile units, upgrading our IT system and using new technology such as text reminders.""
"However, the uptake of screening remains high, they said, with an uptake of 72pc in 2024, against the programme standard of 70pc. It comes as the programme was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, with the service paused for months across 2020 and 2021. There are approximately 3,500 new breast cancer cases diagnosed in Ireland every year."
Breastcheck provides free breast screening for people aged 50 to 69 and fell short of screening targets in consecutive years. The 2024 target of 195,000 screenings resulted in 137,134 checks, while the 2023 target of 185,000 yielded 166,532 screenings. The screening service is affected by a global shortage of radiology staff. HSE is expanding capacity by recruiting consultants and radiographers, adding mobile units, upgrading IT systems and using text reminders. Uptake reached 72pc in 2024, above the 70pc programme standard. The service was paused across 2020–2021 due to COVID-19. Approximately 3,500 new breast cancer cases occur annually in Ireland.
Read at Irish Independent
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