Mammogram X-ray services to return to Mayo in June

The welcome news that mammogram X-ray services will return to Mayo was announced at Tuesday's Regional Health Forum West and North West. 

Councillor Michael Loftus has welcomed the news, with a confirmed date of June 8th, 2026.

The news brings to an end a difficult period for women in the county who have been forced to travel to Galway for essential breast imaging appointments — a situation that has caused significant distress for many patients.

"I welcome the fact that we now have a date of the eighth of June for the actual opening of a mammogram service in Mayo," said Cllr Loftus, who has been raising the issue on behalf of constituents. "I just feel that this all stems from individuals coming into my clinic."

The service was suspended following the retirement of a specialist radiographer, with difficulties finding a replacement prolonging the disruption. Cllr Loftus acknowledged the circumstances while stressing the impact on patients. "We had one lady who retired, and I understand that she retired and a replacement was not able to work for a particular reason," he said. "But it was really hard on the individuals who really had to go to Galway and, in their state, it was a big thing to have to reschedule their appointments, and it affected them quite a lot."

The issue had also drawn attention at a national level. Minister of State Alan Dillon TD previously described it as "unacceptable" that Mayo women were being redirected to University Hospital Galway for a service that should be available locally, warning that delays in access could hinder early detection of breast cancer.

With the service's return now confirmed, Cllr Loftus is calling for systemic improvements to prevent a repeat of the situation. "In the future, we need to look at this system of replacing staff if somebody is out," he said. "If this person comes back, is there a replacement in place that could be taken from Galway or from somewhere else to actually come in? If it meant a day off work for that person, is there a replacement there? That needs to be looked at."

READ MORE: HSE blame scarcity of specialised radiographers for suspension of Mayo Mammography Service

The June 8 reopening will be a welcome development for women across the county, restoring local access to a diagnostic service that plays a critical role in the early detection and treatment of breast cancer.

An official from the HSE  told the meeting that "there is a shortage of demographers across the country. And the issue is we're actually recruiting and getting replacements for when people are on leave, and I think that has been a particular problem in relation to this particular episode."

Ann Cosgrove, Saolta University Health Care Group, agreed and said that “there is a scarcity of supply of mammography trained radiographers. It's not unique to Mayo, unfortunately. It is across the country, and there's specific training that they have to undertake. So it definitely can be challenging at times to keep posts filled in that area.”

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme