Dr. Colm Henry:

I will make a start on that question. To reiterate the point for anybody listening or watching, it is really important to emphasise the difference between people who are symptomatic and people in the screening programme. To be blunt about it, if someone shows symptoms corresponding to any of the three screening programmes, such as bowel symptoms, a breast lump or vaginal bleeding in the case of cervical cancer, the screening programme has no relevance to him or her. Such people must go straight to their GP. We have urgent access pathways for these patients, which we measure and report on monthly. Those patients bypass screening. They should go straight to their general practitioner. As the Chairman knows, the general practitioner will refer that patient straight to urgent cancer referral clinics.