Fergus O'Dowd
Question:337 Mr. O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health and Children the situation with regard to the delays in cervical smear testing in County Louth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6401/03]
Written Answers - Hospital Services.
I am advised by the chief executive officer of the North-Eastern Health Board that, at present, cervical smear tests from County Louth are forwarded to the laboratory in St. Luke's Hospital, Dublin, for processing, where the current waiting period for results is 20 weeks. I understand that, with a view to reducing waiting times in St. Luke's Hospital, the Eastern Regional Health Authority has commissioned additional capacity at the hospital by means of working overtime.
I am committed to supporting boards in reducing turnaround times for smear test results. In this regard, my Department has, in recent years, allocated additional funding to provide for the establishment of new posts, 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 laboratory and colposcopy services.
Under the national health strategy, a commitment has been given to the full extension of the programme to the rest of the country. The process of planning and organising the national programme is a major undertaking with significant logistical and resource implications that require careful consideration. The experience gained from phase one should be of assistance in the context of implementing this commitment. Following discussions with my Department on the matter, the chief executive officers of the health boards initiated an examination of the feasibility and implications of a roll out of the national programme. In this context, the chief executive officers are making the necessary arrangements to have an external review of phase one carried out this year and are considering appropriate governance structures for managing the national programme.