Advances in medicine and in preventative health care have made important differences to health and health care, and none more so than cervical screening for women. Today we are able to prevent a disease which has been the silent killer of many women in the past. From the records of the national cancer registry, 170 women were diagnosed with cervical cancer in 1994, a salutary reminder of the number of women affected by this avoidable disease in just one year. Cervical cancer is the third most important health concern for women, the first being breast cancer and the second pregnancy and child birth.
Cervical screening is a relatively new concept and it has taken time to bring home to women the message that a painless, simple test can save their lives. Lack of information, squeamishness or embarrassment have inhibited the take-up by women of screening services, but one of the major inhibitors in the past has been cost. It is very welcome that women now have access to screening without having to pay for it, or having to pay only for the taking of the smear. This is a wise long-term investment in women's health. In the context of the forthcoming national women's health plan I hope it is the forerunner of many similar initiatives which will give women more opportunities to protect their health.
I am very concerned at recent reports that the cervical screening system is experiencing long delays in delivering results to women. Perhaps this is a result of the success of the initiative, with a greater number of women coming forward for screening because it is free. There is however little point in taking such initiatives if investment is not made to deal with the consequence. I am very concerned that women coming forward for screening, with a certain amount of understandable trepidation, have to wait up to 12 weeks for their results. Is this a phenomenon that applies to all screening? I hope a two tiered system has not evolved in such a new service where women who continue to pay for screening can get results quickly while results for women screened through the free service are delayed. There should be no such distinction. Since women without resources were those least likely to have smears in the past, bringing them into the screening process is vitally important for their health care.
If delays continue or the position deteriorates further the numbers coming forward will drop because of anxiety about the screening process allied with the long delay in getting results. We have a long way to go to ensure that all women as a matter of course are screened regularly. It is essential that adequate facilities are in place for trained personnel to give speedy and accurate test results. I do not know whether targets are set by the Department of Health or the medical profession, but as a consumer I believe that women should not have to wait longer than two weeks for their results.
I ask the Minister to consider the delays as a matter of urgency and ensure that steps are taken to reduce the time period. I also ask that the Department set a standard so that consumers are clear when they go for screening that they will receive their results within a reasonable time. These steps are necessary to ensure that we build an effective screening service which is structured in such a way that women have great confidence in it and see it as accessible and supportive.
