The national clinical director of the BreastCheck programme, Professor Ann O’Doherty, is calling for a mediation forum including medical, legal and counselling services to deal with any cases where a breast cancer diagnosis was missed by screening. Doctors involved with the BreastCheck service have expressed strong concern that spiralling legal costs could lead to the screening programme for breast cancer being closed down. The service is well funded, but that money is needed to provide screening services, not for paying legal costs. “We know false negatives are going to happen.”Any patient diagnosed with breast cancer who requests her screening history is provided with that information, she added. Oncologist Professor John Crown defended screening services in Ireland saying that they are among the best in the world.

Source: The Irish Times May 24, 2018 08:42 UTC