The HSE is making budgetary provisions for Free BreastCheck mammograms for women in the 65-69 age group next year, it has emerged this Monday.
Following correspondence with Tony O’Brien, national director of the HSE, Deputy Kieran O’Donnell has received formal confirmation from the HSE that his proposal to extend Free BreastCheck mammograms to women in the 65-69 age group is now forming part of the HSE’s budget process for next year.
“I am very pleased with this confirmation from the HSE. It’s a crucial step along the road to extending BreastCheck to women aged 65-69. It follows a commitment I previously got from the Minister for Health in the Dáil that free BreastCheck monitoring will be extended to women aged 65-69 during the lifetime of this Government.
“What the HSE is now effectively saying is that the HSE has made a business case to the Department of Health to extend BreastCheck to women aged 65-69, and the HSE has included the extension of BreastCheck in its budget preparations for next year.
“I am very hopeful that the extension of BreastCheck to women aged 65-69 will happen as part of the HSE’s 2015 Service Plan, and I am going to continue to work with the HSE and Department of Health to achieve this,” Deputy O’Donnell said.
A native of Ennis, Colin McGann has been editor of The Clare Champion since August 2020. Former editor of The Clare People, he is a journalism and communications graduate of Dublin Institute of Technology.