Staffing issues impact MUH mammography service
A number of issues around staffing are contributing to difficulties providing mammography services at Mayo University Hospital (MUH), according to a HSE manager.
The matter was raised at last week's Health Forum West by Castlebar-based Cllr Michael Kilcoyne who said Mayo women can no longer avail of a mammography service in the Castlebar Primary Care Centre and must travel to Galway instead. Cllr Kilcoyne said the BreastCheck service "has not been to Mayo for quite some time".
"There is a lot of concern about that. You say there was the screening in Ballina in August two years ago and in Castlebar in January 2023 to April 2024, but that is over a year and a half ago. It’s a brilliant service and I am just concerned, and the people are concerned; they feel because we don’t live in Galway, we’re neglected that little bit.”
Area Health Manager Mary Warde said the MUH mammography service, which is normally provided at Castlebar Primary Care Centre, is currently experiencing staff shortages. The initial vacancy arose as a result of a retirement and to date the HSE has not been successful in filling the position. As a result, patients are being offered appointments at University Hospital Galway (UHG).
“This post has been advertised again. As it is a priority for us to recommence offering this service in Mayo, we are exploring temporary agency cover. We have also explored the possibility of temporarily reorganising working schedules to allow these clinics to take place in Mayo, within the existing resources of HSE West and North West. To date, these efforts have been unsuccessful. There have also been discussions with BreastCheck to see if they have any capacity to assist in providing clinics in Mayo. This has not been successful to date. Patients will continue to be offered appointments in UHG until this service [resumes] in Mayo.”
Health Area Manager Anne Cosgrove added: “Mammography is a very scarce specialism with specialist training required for it and to be honest we do have the same difficulties in Galway around recruiting and retaining radiologists. So it is a fact that this is not unique to Mayo but something we experience across the services.”
Acknowledging there is a fixed BreastCheck unit in Galway, she added that BreastCheck make very significant efforts to ensure the service is available as widely as possible through mobile units.
- Published as part of the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.
