Helpline swamped by 8,000 fearful callers
Many faced long delays and others couldn’t get through
A HELPLINE for women concerned about smear test results has been inundated with calls for the third day in a row, with 8,000 having now contacted it.
However, the phone line has been described as an “answering service” rather than a helpline by frustrated callers.
Many have experienced lengthy delays waiting to have their call answered, and when they do they are asked for their name, address, PPS number and phone number and told someone will call them back.
The helpline, which is the normal CervicalCheck Freephone line 1800 454555, has now received more than 8,000 calls. The majority are in relation to repeat cervical screening.
A HSE spokeswoman said the average waiting time was 25 minutes yesterday.
“We are experiencing a huge volume of calls and apologise sincerely to callers for the delay in responding,” she added.
“Clinicians have begun calling women back to respond to their queries. However, due to the volume of queries received, it will take some time before all women have been called back.”
However, speaking on RTÉ’s ‘Liveline’ yesterday, Fiona Lawlor said: “It’s not a helpline, it’s an answering service.”
She told how she had been waiting more than four-anda-half hours for someone to respond to her call.
Ms Lawlor has a long history of cervical screening going back to 2006 and in 2009 underwent a surgical procedure after getting an abnormal smear test result.
“I’m very concerned as to whether the results I’ve been given are accurate,” she said.
Another man told how he called the helpline on behalf of a worried relative but gave up as he couldn’t get through.
“We were supposed to believe everything would be made available... I have a situation and I can’t get through,” he said.
He said the relative has been having yearly screening, but received a letter from CervicalCheck in January saying this was being changed to every three years.
“She went into a super meltdown to the extent that she can’t speak for herself.
“She was in a terrible state and she was very mindful that she had a history,” he added.
He said when his relative told medical staff, she was told she could go for yearly private screening – but would have to pay for this herself.
Meanwhile, Alison Begas, CEO of the Dublin Well Woman Centre, said they have been inundated with calls from anxious women seeking smear tests.
“As of this morning, our operations manager told me that in our three Dublin clinics the phones have been ringing off the hook with women who want to book in for a smear test, request a repeat smear test or book in for a private test.
“We have not been notified by CervicalCheck of any irregularities in testing of any of our patients.
“But I think it’s still unfolding as an issue and I don’t think we know the full scale of it yet,” she warned.
Health Minister Simon Harris has told CervicalCheck to facilitate repeat tests for women who want them with the State footing the bill.
However, Ms Begas said it is not yet clear how this will operate.
“We have tried to contact CervicalCheck this morning... it isn’t yet clear from CervicalCheck how that facility will operate.”
Ms Begas added that private smear tests conducted at Dublin Well Woman Clinics, which cost €85, are analysed by a medical analytics company in Ireland. Tests carried out at the clinics as part of the free CervicalCheck service are tested at the Coombe Hospital.
A HSE spokeswoman said: “The Health Minister has announced that women can have a repeat cervical screening if they wish to do so.
“We will set this up shortly and will post details on cervicalcheck.ie as soon as possible,” she added.
‘I think it’s still unfolding as an issue and we don’t know the full scale of it yet’