Specialist breast cancer services are to be confined to eight or nine locations in the Republic under a plan which is near completion.
A group established by the HSE to formulate the plan has identified four or five centres in Dublin as suitable for dedicated breast cancer services. It also says there should be specialist centres in Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford. But similar facilities are unlikely to be provided in the northwest or midlands.
The group was set up after an expert body, chaired by Prof Niall O'Brien, recommended the establishment of a network of specialist centres.
Although it had originally been expected that some 13 hospitals would be selected, it is understood that a decision has been made to have one breast cancer unit for every 500,000 people. This will enable eight or nine diagnostic and treatment centres to be chosen.
Sources have told The Irish Times that the centres in Dublin will be located at the Mater and Beaumont hospitals on the northside and at St Vincent's and St James's, on the southside.
Although there will be a specialist centre in Cork city, sources suggest that the South Infirmary hospital is challenging the expected site at Cork University Hospital, where radiotherapy facilities and most consultant oncologists are located.It is likely that patients in the northwest will have access to outreach services linked to the specialised centre in Galway, while patients in the midlands will be referred to Galway or one of the Dublin centres.
The implementation group is expected to report within two weeks.