Willie Penrose
Question:6 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Health and Children when the national cervical screening programme will be implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5510/00]
Other Questions. - Cancer Screening Programme.
The national cervical screening programme is being introduced on a phased basis. It is anticipated that phase one of the programme will commence mid-year in the Mid-Western Health Board area.
Negotiations are currently under way with the IMO in relation to the fee to be paid to GPs involved in taking smears. I hope the negotiations can be concluded in the near future to avoid any undue delay in implementing phase one of the programme. Phase one will involve 67,000 women in the 25-60 age group in the Mid-Western Health Board area.
An expert advisory committee on cervical screening is overseeing the implementation of phase one. The process of planning and organising the phased introduction of the national programme will be greatly facilitated by the experience gained in phase one. In light of the organisational and resource implications, there would appear to be merit in a phased introduction of the national programme. Approximately 800,000 women will be involved. The introduction of subsequent phases of the programme will require the development of population based registers and the availability of adequate laboratory capacity, appropriate quality assurance and follow-up services where treatment is required. These issues are currently being considered in conjunction with the expert advisory committee.
There are many women who need screening but who do not live in Limerick. There is a commitment to extend this scheme nationally. Cervical screening is recognised worldwide as one of the very few testing programmes that is extremely effective. What knowledge precisely will be garnered from having the pilot scheme in Limerick that has not already been gained from practice elsewhere where screening is a fait accompli? Will he indicate what kind of time frame we are talking about for a national screening programme? I am not referring to the pilot scheme. What resources and funding are being put in place this year? What expansion of laboratory and colposcopy facilities is being provided this year to prepare for the establishment of the national programme?
Phase one is an important first step towards the full operation of the programme. The experience gained will help to inform the subsequent developmental expansion of the programme nationally. There are organisational issues which have resource implications for the future expansion of the programme but we are committed to it. I am also anxious to use the experience gained in phase one in subsequent follow-up treatment services, which are equally important. The expert committee is to report back to me on all these issues. I am awaiting its report which is will be considered in the context of the national cancer strategy and the work of the national cancer forum.
Will HIV virus testing be included in the screening programme?
I will have to clarify that for the Deputy later. I do not have the information to hand.
Would the Minister accept that far too much time passes from the date when programmes of this nature are announced and when they actually begin to operate? Would the Minister acknowledge that there seems to be an endemic problem with his Department, whether we are talking about breast or cervical screening programmes, or introducing and implementing cancer strategies or cardiovascular strategies? What steps does the Minister propose taking to ensure that his Department loses the mañana philosophy of life and starts regarding these issues as urgent priorities which require it to put programmes in place a great deal faster than the many years it seems to take them to do so from the date when such plans are announced?
I take the Deputy's point and I am reflecting on the way in which things operate generally within the health system – not just within the Department. Matters apparently take a long time to implement and, even in terms of sanctioning posts, there seems to be an inordinate delay.
If it was private industry they would all have gone bankrupt years ago.
Exactly.
No one works this way now.
When we sanction consultant posts it can sometimes take up to 12 months before the positions are filled, even though funding is available. That situation is not tenable and I want to see something done about it. The Deputy would have to acknowledge that some progress has been made on implementing the national cancer strategy. We need to make more progress, however. We are approaching the matter against a background of a significant deficit in cancer services. There is a need to correlate screening programmes with subsequent follow-up treatments. I am conscious that in the area of radiotherapy we need to expand capacity significantly, otherwise new log-jams will emerge in the national screening programmes.
The Minister must be brief in answering the question.
In short, I see the necessity for improving the delivery of programmes and initiatives, given that funding has been allocated for them. There are many groups and bodies involved and the structure seems to take its time on some of these issues – it is not just in the Department of Health and Children – and it is something that I will address.