Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue, which is both topical and very important. The Minister, Deputy Harris, announced the availability of a free smear test in response to women who are feeling concerned. This was one of the key issues raised on the helpline, and doctors also raised it with the Minister. The level of uptake showed that many women wished to get the reassurance of a smear test out of cycle. The Health Service Executive regrets that there are significant delays currently in the reporting of smear test results.

I know that addressing the backlog is a priority for the Minister and the HSE. The programme was operated for many years with a reporting time of between four and six weeks. Unfortunately, results are currently being reported within 18 weeks of the test being taken. In a small number of cases, it is even longer than that. That is not good enough. I would like to apologise to those patients affected and assure them that everything possible is being done to try to improve the position.

I acknowledge the difficulties these delays are causing smear takers and GPs as well as patients, primarily. These delays have been caused by an upsurge in women presenting for smear tests. There are two main factors contributing to the increase in demand. As well as women presenting for out-of-cycle smear tests since April, we have also seen an increase in the number of women attending for normal CervicalCheck appointments.

While this increase in participation by women in cervical screening is very welcome, it is contributing to delays and pressures. Between 1 May 2018 and 30 September, 42,469 repeat or out-of-cycle smear tests were undertaken. As of 13 October 2018, 86,210 smear test samples were still in progress and not yet reported on. That compares with approximately 23,000 smear test samples which would normally be expected to be in progress in the system. What we are seeing, therefore, is a dramatic increase in both out-of-cycle tests for understandable reasons, as the Deputy said, to reassure people, and CervicalCheck seeing an increase in the normal testing system as well.

We have asked laboratories to undertake additional recruitment and that they try to streamline processes around release of reports. Laboratories are continuing to provide for overtime and to manage annual leave and schedules, with their best efforts, to try to reduce the backlog.

The whole point of this process was to be able to get test results back in a timely manner that would reassure women. I can tell the Deputy that addressing this issue is a top priority for the HSE and for the Minister, and we are working with the laboratories to try to do that.

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