Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 26 Mar 2003

Vol. 563 No. 5

Written Answers - Cancer Screening Programme.

Breeda Moynihan-Cronin

Question:

196 Ms B. Moynihan-Cronin asked the Minister for Health and Children the average waiting time for cervical smear tests at all the State's cytology laboratories; the average waiting time for test results at each of those centres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8441/03]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

The latest information to hand from the health boards and the Eastern Regional Health Authority on waiting times for cervical smear test results is set out in the following table.

Laboratory	Waiting Period
St. Luke's Hospital	Routine 20 weeks. Urgent 2-3 weeks
St. James' Hospital	Routine 7 weeks. Urgent 1 week
National Maternity Hospital	All results within 1-3 weeks
Coombe Women's Hospital	Routine 8 weeks. Urgent under 2 weeks
Beaumont Hospital	Routine 7-8 weeks. Urgent under 2 weeks
Royal College of Surgeons	Routine 9-10 weeks. Urgent under 2 weeks
Rotunda Hospital	Routine 8-9 weeks. Urgents processed immediately
Our Lady of Lourdes	2 weeks
Sligo General Hospital	Routine 28 weeks. Urgent 4-5 weeks
Cork University Hospital	125 days
Mercy Hospital	3 weeks
University College Hospital, Galway	4 weeks

My Department is compiling more detailed information on waiting periods which will enable an overall average waiting time for smear test results from all laboratories to be calculated. This will forwarded to the Deputy as soon as it is available.

I am advised by the boards that there is a concerted effort to reduce the turnaround times. Phase one of the national cervical screening programme has contracted Belfast City Link Laboratory and Antrim Hospital United Hospital Trust to process up to 250 smears per week on behalf of the Southern Health Board. This initiative is funded by phase one of the national cervical screening programme and it is hoped it will substantially clear the backlog over the coming months. The North-Western Health Board is recruiting additional staff and is in the process of finalising details with a laboratories in Scotland and Antrim to outsource cervical smears to reduce waiting times. In respect of the ERHA, I am advised that overtime has been commissioned in St. Luke's laboratory to reduce waiting times there.

I am committed to supporting boards in their efforts to reduce the waiting times for cervical smear test results. In this regard, my Department has in recent years allocated additional funding to provide for the establishment of new posts, the purchase of new equipment and the introduction of new technology in the cervical cytology laboratories. In 2003, an extra €1.4 million has been provided to assist ongoing developments in the cervical cytology and colposcopy services.