The provider of breast prostheses, which had been criticised by cancer lobby groups for offering a shoddy service, has been awarded a fresh contract but both patients and the government are confident the problem has been rectified.

The Mosta provider had been slammed by the Action for Breast Cancer Foundation for enjoying a monopolistic situation it said resulted in a poor service to cancer patients who needed a breast replacement.

Their complaints were accepted by the Health Ministry, which, after validating their concerns, suspended the contract and issued another call for tenders, with conditions stipulated in consultation with stakeholders.

The ministry agreed those who have just had a mastectomy should not be subjected to a one-size-fits-all, uncomfortable, rubber breast but would have access to the type that addressed their specific needs.

The fact that the same provider is back in business does not worry those who have been fighting to fix the situation.

“The ministry is confident things should improve despite the fact that what was considered to be the source of the problem was awarded the contract,” a spokesman said.

The short-term contract, she highlighted, was only for €6,000 worth of prostheses and a period of six months, or whichever was reached first. It was an interim tender that would ensure women stuck in the limbo brought about when the previous contract was terminated would be catered for.

The ministry had to work strictly within the parameters of the law, which did not allow the blacklisting of any entity, the spokesman said, adding it “determined specs for the call for quotes, which should eliminate the unfavourable situations patients had reported when the previous tender was running”.

These specs stipulate that the prosthesis fitting – a sensitive exercise – is carried out in-house at Mater Dei Hospital and by qualified breast care nurses, in its specific unit. It would no longer be done by the prosthesis supplier at its unwelcoming premises and at limited times, which had given rise to complaints.

Moreover, the conditions also dictated the period of time between the order of a prosthesis for a client by a qualified breast care nurse and its supply by the provider, the spokesman said.

The ministry, she said, did foresee the possibility that the same supplier would submit a proposal but it also invited representatives of the cancer support groups to participate and contribute throughout – even in the adjudication process.

She said the latest call would be followed by a tender covering a number of years, which would be published shortly, and its specs would be tweaked accordingly.

Action for Breast Cancer Foundation co-founder president Esther Sant, who has made the prosthesis issue her mission, confirmed the samples of the winning bidder, the former provider from Mosta, were acceptable.

Her lobby group had voiced concern to the Health Ministry about the free prostheses the government offered, presenting a report on their deficiencies, and has been calling for the sought-after silicone, solid and lightweight replacements.

While it was “hard to believe” that the former provider was awarded the tender again, Ms Sant was “hopeful the terms and conditions of the contract would be abided by and said the situation would be assessed in a month’s time.

“For this interim period, breast cancer patients have good-quality prostheses,” she said, adding that about 100 could be purchased through the tender and that the waiting list stood at over 50 patients.