Sinn Féin spokesperson on Health David Cullinane TD has warned that more delays to CervicalCheck screening are likely without increased investment in cancer screening services.

Teachta Cullinane said that the delays to testing HPV-positive samples for cancer risk are unacceptable and shows the importance of proactive investment.

Teachta Cullinane said:

“The fact that the latest delay in CervicalCheck cancer screening was caused by a lack of capacity is unacceptable.

“It is important not to be alarmist – it is a small number of women and low risk, but for those women I am sure the anxiety is very real.

“I hope for the best for them, and it is important to remember that the detection of HPV does not imply cancer.

“Simply put, this should not have happened. It will further harm trust and confidence in the CervicalCheck screening service.

“Capacity issues and solutions were flagged more than a year ago, and last September I launched a series of proposals for boosting cancer screening capacity to avoid this sort of situation.

“This underlines the importance of proactive investment in screening services to ensure continued operation in a Covid environment.

“Next week, I will be launching a major investment plan for the health service, including cancer screening capacity.”