Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 300: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if there are plans to withdraw colposcopy services from Letterkenny General Hospital; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32342/08]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 304: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if it is planned to remove colposcopy services from Letterkenny General Hospital; if her attention has been drawn to the concern that this is causing in County Donegal in view of the distances people will have to travel if the service is removed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32369/08]

Brendan Kenneally (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 320: To ask the Minister for Health and Children her views on the withdrawal of a service (details supplied) and the implications for public patients in a public hospital compared to those for the private patients in the public hospital; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32554/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I propose to take Questions Nos. 300, 304 and 320 together.

The National Cancer Screening Service (NCSS) is responsible for the implementation of CervicalCheck, the National Cervical Screening Programme. Colposcopy services are an integral part of a population based screening programme. Of the expected 300,000 women to be screened annually, approximately 2-5% will require access to colposcopy services. Women that have precancerous cell changes detected by their smear test are referred for colposcopy. The NCSS is making a significant investment in colposcopy services to enhance the service delivered to women and ensure timely access to a quality assured, standardised colposcopy service for those women that require further investigation.

The NCSS has identified eleven colposcopy services to initially support CervicalCheck. This does not necessarily preclude the inclusion of other colposcopy clinics in the future. The colposcopy service at Letterkenny General has not been identified for initial referrals of women. However, in the interim the service will continue to provide colposcopy services to women already attending or awaiting colposcopy. Key to quality colposcopy service provision is to ensure that as part of the Programme women can access colposcopy services within international best practice timeframes, adherence to quality assured clinical practice and the achievement of best clinical outcomes for women. The feasibility and provision of additional colposcopy services to women in the North West is also being examined. The NCSS is working with Letterkenny General Hospital and the question of Letterkenny's future participation in the screening programme's colposcopy service will be considered in this context.