Trust will be further eroded in CervicalCheck without clear comms
Labour Party Health spokesperson Alan Kelly TD, has said that news that up to 6,000 women will need to have their smears rechecked will be a worrying development for many women.
Deputy Kelly said:
“Confirmation from the HSE that 6,000 women will have to get their CervicalCheck tests carried out again will be a cause of anxiety and concern for many women across the country.
“We need to know exactly how we have found ourselves in a situation where trust will be further eroded in the CervicalCheck screening programme.
“Doctors are telling women that they will waiting up to ten weeks for results and that they may then have to undergo a recheck.
“So it is either wait over two months for results or pay to have the test privately done, which is not an option for so many women.
“What is needed now is clear communication from the HSE and CervicalCheck to remove any additional worries women may have. We can’t have delayed communication with women as we have seen in the past.
“The additional waiting time for smear results has rightly worried many women when they are constantly being confronted with stories of how the CervicalCheck system has failed the lives of over 221 women in our country.
“Not only are these delays impacting on women’s mental health, there are many practical concerns. Many women who require other medical procedures for example a transplant need to have an up to date smear test carried out by CervicalCheck. The delays in getting results can have a knock on effect on these procedures being carried out.
“There wasn’t enough resources there when Minister Harris announced that there was going to be free smears for everyone in Ireland, and when he did so he should have ensured that there was more resources.”