The Health Service Executive confirmed last night that breastcare services at Mullingar Hospital are to end in the coming weeks and all patients will be referred to the Mater Hospital in Dublin.
And after a number of women who were given the all-clear were later diagnosed with the disease, the Health Service Executive (HSE) confirmed the Midland Hospital, Portlaoise - at the centre of the scandal - will now be linked with one of the country's biggest hospitals.
The HSE said the Mullingar move is due to a drop in new patients to just 26 in 2006. It told women receiving care at the site not to have any concerns regarding the service.
The assessment of services in 22 hospitals nationwide was based on the National Quality Assurance Standards for Symptomatic Breast Disease Services, published in May.
Dr Mary Hynes, HSE Assistant National Director, said she was satisfied services should continue in these centres between now and the end of 2009, the target date to have 90 per cent of cancer services transferred to the eight Centres of Excellence.
"This move will create larger teams of clinicians and allied health and associated professionals, with larger workloads and more specialist expertise," said Dr Hynes.
"The HSE also requires in the interim, that all existing centres continue to rigorously assess their service against best practice and the recently published standards and implement such practice and standards.
"We will be requiring all centres to report back on their services."
The HSE confirmed weekly multidisciplinary team meetings do not currently take place at Portlaoise and Mullingar Hospitals, but it listed 20 centres around the country where the meetings do take place, either on site or through an affiliated centre.
Dublin:
Louth:
Kilkenny:
Wexford:
Waterford:
Tipperary:
Cork:
Kerry:
Limerick:
Galway:
Mayo:
Sligo:
Donegal:
Letterkenny General Hospital Sligo General Hospital Mayo General Hospital University College Hospital Limerick Regional Hospital; St Johns Kerry General Hospital, Tralee. University Hospital; South Infirmary South Tipperary General Hospital, Clonmel Regional Hospital General Hospital St Lukes General Hospital Our Lady of Lourdes, Drogheda Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown; Mater; Beaumont; St Vincent's; St James; AMNCH Tallaght;