Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Scally report released yesterday identified the fact that where there were contracts with laboratories the work had been sub-contracted. This morning I raised queries at the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health about whether there was a provision in the contracts that allowed it to be sub-contracted. I raise an extremely concerning issue about women under 25 years of age who do not come under the CervicalCheck programme. I have a letter addressed to a GP about someone who is under 25 years of age and suffers from an immune deficiency and is, therefore, more likely to contract cervical cancer. The GP became concerned and, believing the issue was urgent, arranged to have a smear test conducted privately. As the results showed that it was an abnormal smear, the GP immediately referred her to CervicalCheck. The letter from CervicalCheck states that because she did not go through its process, it cannot put her on its list. It is astonishing that someone with an abnormal smear test result does not come within the remit of CervicalCheck and must be seen under a screening programme, resulting in a considerable delay. It is wrong, where it has clearly been identified that someone under 25 years of age has had an abnormal smear test result, that CervicalCheck is closing its doors. Cervical cancer is not confined to those over 25 years of age. I know of cases of people as young as 18 and 21 years of age where cervical cancer has been diagnosed and they have to go through the treatment process. I ask that this matter be brought to the attention of the Minister for Health. I would like him to come to the House to tell us exactly what changes are occurring in the provision of the CervicalCheck programme. Are there restrictions which prevent certain women from gaining access to care and treatment? That is exactly what has occurred in this case and the woman concerned does not have a big income. At the time she felt it was important to have the issue dealt with, as per the advice of her GP, and has now been told that she cannot receive care under the CervicalCheck programme. I ask that this matter be brought to the Minister's attention and dealt with as soon as possible.