Margaret Ritchie adds her opposition to proposals on potential closure of breast cancer assessment centres

24 April 2019

SOME weeks ago the Department of Health published a consultation document on breast cancer assessment services in Northern Ireland.

The proposal contained in the document is to reduce the number of assessment centres from five to three which, in my opinion, defies medical and geographical logic.

Furthermore, the proposal to close the assessment centres at Craigavon and Belfast City Hospitals will leave the southern part of Northern Ireland without proper accessibility to such a vital and important service.

What is being proposed also has the support of some cancer charities.

The Department of Health and the cancer charities contend that such a proposed revision of assessment services will ensure not only greater accessibility, but also help in reducing the time spent on waiting lists.

For my part — as a breast cancer survivor still subject to tablet medical intervention — I find this proposal has little foundation; presents risks to many people and is a pathway that should not be followed.

As someone who had a breast cancer diagnosis in February last year, I was glad that I was able to avail of the integrated holistic breast assessment services at the Belfast City Hospital, ranging from pre-operation observations to surgical interventions, chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments.

This was allied with six months of physiotherapy with a concentration on lymphodoema prevention followed by regular ongoing reviews, including tablet medication, annual mammograms for a five year period and participation in a blind aspirin trial.

I find the proposed decision to close the breast assessment centre at Craigavon and Belfast City Hospitals totally inexplicable.

To me, to close the breast assessment centre at Belfast City Hospital which sits beside the Regional Cancer and Radiotherapy Centre, the BRCA breast hereditary research centre and research and medical investigative facilities at Queen’s University is an act of extreme folly — at a time when research into breast cancer is at a high level which enables individualised treatments to suit the content of tumours.

I understand that this approach has been successful, but there is no doubt that having that integrated holistic approach at Belfast City Hospital is an excellent way of treatment for many women.

I fully agree that the Department of Health, along with the Breast Assessment Project Board, need to examine ways to reduce waiting lists and to ensure better accessibility to all forms of treatment to increase the level of survival.

But I believe that to remove the breast assessment service from Belfast City Hospital is not the way to do this. In the past few days, I have heard the words of a former consultant breast specialist at Belfast City Hospital who has cautioned against what is being proposed as it could lead in the long run to the closure of the complete breast unit over a period of time.

That must be avoided at all costs.

The consultant also asserted that you are not going to get more consultant radiologists if you are in three units than if you are in five.

Furthermore, the Belfast City Hospital breast unit deals and treats women who represent 50 per cent from all health trust areas. I came from the South Eastern Trust but was happy to avail of all the integrated health and breast service provision at Belfast City Hospital. Long may that breast assessment service continue to be provided there.

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