Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Several years ago, I mounted a campaign for increased laboratory facilities. We need enhanced laboratory facilities that are adequate to meet the present and growing population, which we do not currently have. It should be an urgent objective, particularly in the light of the cervical tests and the delays associated with them. We know that the practices were wrong because there was a practice of not telling the patients what the story was, which is appalling in any circumstances. It caused undue stress and anxiety for the patients, but the patient should surely be the most important person in the equation.

The smear test system has been in operation for ten or 12 years. When it was introduced, some of us had doubts. We were sold on it because it had the ability to save the lives of a considerable number of women, which it has done. It had an accuracy rating of approximately 80% then and it is still no more than that. Given the accuracy rating and the apparent lack of information prevalent in the system, it was a bad system in terms of the capacity of patients to have confidence in it. The theory was that information was withheld from patients because it would have undermined public confidence in the system. Which comes first, however? Is it the need to assure the patient of absolute certainty that the laboratory to which her test is referred is doing its job, is accurate and that results are followed up? I ask Dr. Coffey to comment on that and on the laboratory facilities, the methodology used and the need for the alternative system which is coming into vogue soon.