The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has today announced its intention to bring forward the quality review of centres providing symptomatic breast disease services across Ireland. 

In May 2007 the Minister for Health and Children, Mary Harney TD, launched the Quality Assurance Standards for Symptomatic Breast Disease Services that had been developed by an Expert Working Group chaired by Professor Niall O’Higgins. The standards were subsequently mandated by the Health Information and Quality Authority and an implementation plan for the standards is currently being developed by the Health Service Executive.

The standards are focused on improving the quality of care for women with symptomatic breast disease in Ireland and set out the requirements of a high quality specialist breast centre, which include a ‘triple assessment’ approach to the provision of care. They also incorporate the clinical and managerial elements needed to assess performance. HIQA has a major role in monitoring the implementation of, and compliance with, these standards.

The Chief Executive of HIQA, Dr Tracey Cooper said, “In light of recent events that have given rise to anxiety and concern regarding the quality of symptomatic breast disease services in Ireland, it is important that we can assure that, regardless of where a woman receives care for symptomatic breast disease, she is receiving the highest quality of care as laid out in the standards. It is also important to reassure people that there are a number of high quality facilities already providing this level of care within Ireland and a quality review programme will ensure that this is the case across the country.”

“We know that patients are more likely to survive if they are treated in specialist centres that have an organised ‘triple assessment’ approach to the care provided. It is vital that the Health Service Executive, and all other Providers providing symptomatic breast services, implement these standards as a priority in order to ensure that this is the case. The quality review programme will commence in the coming months and will make recommendations for action where the standards have not been met”.

The Authority will be working with healthcare professionals and patients to establish the quality review programme and will also be meeting with health insurance providers to discuss the need for patients with symptomatic breast disease to be treated only where the facility can meet the standards. 

Ends.

Marty Whelan, Head of Communications and Stakeholder Engagement

01 604 1785 / 086 244 7623 mwhelan@hiqa.ie

Further Information: 

Advisory Group Terms of Reference
The Health Information & Quality Authority has convened an advisory group to support the review process for Symptomatic Breast Disease Services. The membership of the group is based on the original expert group that developed the National Quality Assurance Standards for Symptomatic Breast Disease. It will advise the Health Information and Quality Authority in all aspects of the review process. This will include:

• Design of the self assessment tool including question construction; and identifying priority and key risk areas within the standards;
• Selecting the most effective delivery mechanisms for the self-assessment process;
• The interpretation of findings;
• Selection of sites for follow-up;
• On-site assessment design; and
• Key messages for national reports

The Authority will be ultimately responsible for the design, delivery and interpretation of assessments and any reports that arise from them.

The Members of the Breast Services Quality Review Advisory Group are: