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Cancer Screening Programmes

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 October 2018

Wednesday, 17 October 2018

Questions (157)

Bríd Smith

Question:

157. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the laboratories involved in testing the smear tests of the 221 women involved in the audit. [42620/18]

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Written answers

As outlined in previous Parliamentary Questions to the Deputy, it would be expected that false negatives would have occurred in all labs contracted by CervicalCheck since its inception. Screening tests are a balance of sensitivity and specificity and therefore include both false negative and false positive results which could affect the screening outcome and treatment of a person who may or who may not have a disease. False negatives are those samples where the slide was originally reported as negative but on review abnormal cells are found.

As outlined in the report of the Scoping Inquiry, some screening programmes divide those false negatives into one of two groups:

1. Abnormalities that most screeners would not have detected;

2. Abnormalities that most screeners would have detected.

It is often a matter for professional judgement and discussion into which of these two groups any single false negative will fit. I again emphasise that false negatives are unavoidable and happen in every screening programme.

The Scoping Inquiry, led by Dr Gabriel Scally, reported in September. Its terms of reference, developed following cross-party engagement, included examination of the tendering, contracting, operation, conflict of interest arrangements, performance information and performance management, accreditation and quality assurance of contracted cytology laboratory services since the inception of the CervicalCheck programme. Dr Scally's report was the result of a period of intensive work which included visits to the contracted laboratories. Dr Scally is clear in his report that the Inquiry is satisfied with the quality management processes in the laboratories contracted by CervicalCheck. Crucially, he has confirmed that there is no reason, on quality grounds, why the existing contracts for laboratory services should not continue until the new HPV testing regime has been introduced. This provides welcome reassurance for women in Ireland about the quality of these services.

Dr Scally has undertaken to carry out a supplementary report into certain further aspects of the laboratories, including accreditation. He has also made a number of key recommendations in relation to laboratory services which I intend to implement and which will help to ensure that the cervical screening programme meets the highest possible standards.

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