Dr. Tony Holohan:

The point is well made and I agree with the Chairman. These kinds of circumstances can lead sometimes to not easily foreseeable and sometimes unforeseen consequences in terms of medical practice. Without going into the details of cytology, we are moving into a different technology now in terms of the early identification of pre-invasive cervical cancer but if one looks across medical practice, there are many testings that base themselves on observer interpretation of what has been seen. Radiology is a practice. Pathology itself is a practice. Our entire diagnostic activity is heavily dependent on those. If we move the dial even a few degrees towards more conservative calling on the part of practitioners, we will subject large numbers of people to unnecessary further investigations, unnecessary treatment, etc. I have a genuine concern about that. It is easiest for a practitioner to not err and to be sure that he or she calls it in a more conservative way, if that makes sense, and leads to all sorts of consequences for patients and patient harm. That is something that, collectively, we must be conscious of.