Since the 1st September 2009 women who have never had a CervicalCheck smear test need an invitation to have a free smear test. This is a major shift from the system that was established last year where the 1.1 million women within the target 25 to 60 age group were to be encouraged to make their own appointments. Last week I received a letter from Tony O’Brien, Chief Executive National Cancer Screening Service, in reply to questions I raised in the Dáil with the Minister for Health, Mary Harney, regarding the changes to the CervicalCheck Screening Programme.

He confirmed that any woman aged 25 to 60 who has not has not had a smear test in the previous three years and who does not want to wait for an invitation from CervicalCheck can seek an invitation. There is a simple fast track opt-in facility either through on-line registration on www.cervicalcheck.ie by completing and returning a registration form by Freepost or by calling CervicalCheck on Freephone 1800 454555. Following this, CervicalCheck issues an invitation to the woman inviting her to make an appointment with a registered smeartaker of her choice. The average waiting time for such an invitation is three weeks.

There are exemptions to the invitation-only screening including women over the age of 60 who have never had a smear test and women, regardless of age, undergoing colposcopy treatment follow up. Since CervicalCheck moved to an invitation system on the 1st September 2009 55,000 invitations have been issued and in excess of 10,000 have availed of the opt-in facility.

By Deirdre Clune T.D.