Dublin People - Fears for women's health as test unit closes

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Fears for women's health as test unit closes

Thursday, 08 May 2008

Women attending the Coombe Women’s Hospital in Dublin 8 to receive cervical smear testing were outraged to find the vital service has been discontinued.
One woman from Drimnagh, Phyllis McHugh (58), who had been seen at the unit following a cervical cancer scare, was shocked to be told patients will no longer receive smear tests at the hospital due to a lack of staff.
The current gap in services left by the closure of the unit could have dangerous consequences for young women at risk of cervical cancer, she explained.
“Its not a busy clinic but it provides vital services to a lot of locals and young girls who will now have to go elsewhere,” she said.
“If you don’t have a medical card then you will have to pay for a test at a doctors’ surgery or a clinic. This is something you have to get done so the current situation is quite dangerous.”
Phyllis believes that the service proved invaluable when she had a scare with cervical cancer.
“When you get a pain it is already too late,” she explained. “I was really lucky that I went for a check so early. I wouldn’t be sitting here today if I hadn’t. This is an essential service.”

Every year in Europe 50,000 women develop cervical cancer while 25,000 die from the disease. Medical experts say that early detection could help prevent almost every case.
The Health Service Executive (HSE) has received heavy criticism for closing the public unit while the hospital’s private facility still provides testing.
Phyllis’s husband and local Sinn Féin councillor, Ray McHugh, has called on the Minister for Health, Mary Harney, to re-open the clinic to the public.
“All women should have a right to cervical smear testing at the Coombe,” he stated. “The ability to diagnose and treat a deadly disease should not be based on your ability to pay.”
The councillor said the issue had been highlighted by Sinn Fein TD, Aengus Ó Snodaigh, in a Dáil question to the minister.
There are approximately 180 new cases of cervical cancer in Ireland every year and 73 deaths.
A national cervical screening programme will be introduced later this year that will aim to reduce incidences of cervical cancer.
“That service will be a good one when it is introduced, but the Coombe should not be shut down in the meantime,” Cllr McHugh added.
The National Cancer Screening Service was established by Mary Harney in 2007 to take over cervical screening duties from the HSE with the aim of centralising all cancer screening in one organisation.
The HSE responded that it was not responsible for public smear testing at the hospital and relayed queries to the hospital itself.
Chris Fitzpatrick, the Master of the Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital, denied that cervical smear testing had ceased at the hospital but added that there would be no new appointments made.
“In accordance with HSE policy, whereby services most appropriate to primary care are being redeployed to the community, and in anticipation of the roll out of the National Cervical Screening Programme, the Cytology Clinic at the Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital will no longer be taking any new appointments,” he said.
“The service has, however, not yet ceased and the hospital will be writing to all patients with scheduled appointments to inform them of these changes, and to advise them about follow-up arrangements.”
A high volume of cervical smear tests will continue to be carried out at the hospital, both in gynaecology and colposcopy clinics, and the hospital is planning to expand its colposcopy service he added.

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