Lab was allowed to outsource smear tests to the UK
ONE of the laboratories used by CervicalCheck in Ireland was allowed to outsource some of its smear tests to the UK.
According to a report from RTÉ and confirmed by the HSE, MedLab Pathology in Sandyford, Dublin, was allowed to use one of the labs in the UK for the screening of Irish smear tests.
The HSE said MedLab Pathology is allowed to use its lab in the UK when there is excessive demand on its lab in Ireland.
MedLab Pathology is a sister company to Clinical Pathology Laboratories Ltd, the firm which settled a lawsuit with Vicky Phelan for €2.5million.
The HSE said that all of the laboratories in the UK fall under the same quality assurance system as those here in Ireland.
Over the weekend, Minister for Health Simon Harris said that he would like to see Irish laboratories screen smear tests as long they have the capacity do so.
Fianna Fáil TD Marc MacSharry said that this raises questions over the issue of subcontracting out smear tests to other laboratories.
‘The Minister needs to clarify how exactly this works and whether there is a different criteria applied to tests carried out in the UK or whether they are all treated the same and signed off by Irish pathologists here,’ said Mr MacSharry,
‘It is important that all of the background regarding how and when tests are sent overseas to the UK is made known so that women can have full confidence in the CervicalCheck programme.’
Debate has raged for the last week about outsourcing of smear tests to other countries.
On Thursday, the company in Austin, Texas, that tested Vicky Phelan’s samples said that the US system is more complete than the Irish system.
Clinical Pathology Laboratories said that for Irish samples it used manual examination of individual slides, rather than the computer-based imaging system it employs for American women.
The company said the results of cervical cancer screens at its lab are ‘well above the accepted accuracy rate for the type of screening’, and have been ‘continuously monitored and repeatedly endorsed by Irish health authorities as well as US laboratory accrediting agencies’.