Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The rollout of a national cervical screening programme is the most efficient population approach to preventing and controlling cervical cancer. The National Cancer Screening Service (NCSS) is planning to roll out such a programme on a national basis around the middle of this year. Women aged 25 to 44 years old will be screened every 3 years; women aged 45 to 60 will be screened every 5 years. The service will be available free of charge to eligible women everywhere in the country. Approximately 230,000 women will be screened annually, assuming an 80% take up by eligible women.

All elements of the programme — call/recall, smear taking, laboratories, colposcopy and treatment services will be quality assured, organised and managed to deliver a single integrated national service. The NCSS has now completed a general consultation on the terms of a proposed contract to be offered to medical practitioners in primary care settings for the provision of smear taker services nationally. All consultation, discussion and agreement regarding the terms of the contract is conducted in accordance with guidance issued by the Competition Authority.

The first draft of this proposed contract was substantially based on the smear taker contract of the Irish Cervical Screening Programme, Phase 1.

Many medical practitioners, GP groupings and representative bodies participated in the consultation process. The NCSS has advised the Department that there has been much positive response and interest from medical practitioners and the NCSS will accommodate a range of issues raised.

Additional revenue funding of €5.0m was allocated to the NCSS in 2007 for the roll-out of the programme and an additional €15.0m has been allocated in 2008. An additional 30 posts have been approved to facilitate integration and roll-out of the programme.