Tánaiste Simon Coveney has apologised in the Dáil to women affected by lengthy delays in getting results to smear test in the wake of the CervicalCheck crisis.
Mr Coveney acknowledged that women were waiting up to 18 weeks for the results of smear tests and in a “small number of cases” even longer because of the dramatic increase in the numbers seeking rechecks.
“This is not good enough,” he said. “I would like to apologise to those patients affected by the delays and assure them that everything possible is being done.”
He also said the HSE regrets that there are currently significant delays in reporting results, because of the upsurge.
Mr Coveney told Sinn Féin health spokeswoman Louise O’Reilly that between May 1st and September 30th this year 42,469 repeat smear tests were taken.
He added that 86,210 smear tests samples were still in progress.
But the Tánaiste said this compared with approximately 23,000 tests that would normally be expected.
Sensible offer
Ms O’Reilly said it was a sensible offer from Minister for Health Simon Harris of a free repeat smear test for those women who were worried.
But it was generally assumed the Minister for Health had this under control and that tests would be returned within the normal time frame, she said, but nothing had been done to prepare for the extra demand.
“What was and still is a good idea is completely mismanaged,” she said.
Waiting times of six to eight weeks had increased to 18 weeks because the labs could not deal with the volume.
“This is having a knock-on effect that tests are expiring because of increased waiting times,” and women were having to go again for smear tests.
She said that “not being able to plan and resource services is the inevitable consequence of outsourcing”.
The Dublin Fingal TD said that screening saves lives and she called on the Tánaiste to give a commitment to an information campaign to alert women as to a “realistic timeframe for repeat tests”.
CervicalCheck
She said the CervicalCheck crisis erupted over the withholding of information from women.
“If the delays are going to continue then we need to be honest” about those delays.
Mr Coveney said that the level of uptake showed that many women did wish to get the reassurance of a smear tests.
They had asked the labs to engage in additional recruitment as well as overtime.
He pointed out that there were a finite number of laboratories and that Dr Gabriel Scally who had carried out an inquiry into the screening programme had provided assurance on the labs the State used.
“Repatriating laboratories for testing isn’t going to solve the problem in the short-term.”
Mr Coveney said he would give a commitment that they will “certainly endeavour to ensure that everyone who gets smear test will get an accurate estimated time of results.That’s the last we can do.”
