Vol. 380 No. 4
asked the Minister for Health if he will make a statement on recent reports that the Southern Health Board have instructed doctors in Cork and Kerry not to send smear tests for analysis to the region's only publicly funded histological laboratory in Cork Regional Hospital until early June as indicated in a report (details supplied).
44.
asked the Minister for Health if he will make a statement on the national cervical screening programme.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 42 and 44 together:
There is at present a delay in the examination and reporting of cervical smears at the cytology laboratory at Cork Regional Hospital. To clear the backlog the board requested general practitioners in March 1988 not to refer smears to the laboratory until 1 June when normal service is expected to resume. The analysis of smears for diagnostic purposes is not affected by this curtailment.
I have established a working group to prepare detailed proposals to improve the existing cervical screening service. The group are representative of medical and administrative experts involved in the provision of the service and have the following terms of reference:
— to examine the current arrangements for the taking and analysis of cervical smears;
— to recommend how current arrangements can be improved to deal satisfactorily with the present workload;
— to identify the target population and optimum frequency of screening for an efficient and cost effective cervical screening programme for this country and to recommend how such a programme be developed.
I expect the working group to make an interim report to me shortly and I will be examining their recommendations as a matter of urgency with a view to improving the existing service in Cork and throughout the country.
