Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 5 December 2013
231. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 193 of 27 November 2013, the course of action open to CervicalCheck patients who are asked for their insurance details by a consultant in a colposcopy service; and if he will arrange to provide clarification to all consultants in this service regarding same. [52350/13]
View answerAs outlined in the reply to Parliamentary Question No. 193 of 27 November 2013, the CervicalCheck screening programmes is offered free of charge to all patients. This includes CervicalCheck colposcopy services which are operated through out-patient departments in 15 hospitals. Women attending CervicalCheck colposcopy services are not charged for out-patient department services unless it is their choice to attend a consultant privately. The HSE's National Cancer Screening Service has assured me that all hospitals and colposcopy services who are involved in the CervicalCheck programme are fully aware of this.
While it may be the practice at individual hospitals to ask out-patient department attendees for private health insurance details when personal details are being collected, patients attending for CervicalCheck colposcopy are not required to provide such details unless they so wish.
