Concern over lack of smear test training
Scally suggests grounding in sample taking should be made compulsory
SERIOUS concerns have been raised by the head of the cervical check scoping inquiry over the fact that clinicians are not required to train for taking samples for CervicalCheck.
Samples for smear tests are commonly collected by GPs or nurses in a surgery.
In a private meeting, Dr Gabriel Scally told women and families of those caught up in the CervicalCheck crisis that there was no cover up in the HSE, because there was nobody competent enough to do so.
Families and women caught up in the scandal met with Dr Scally on Tuesday night to discuss what insights he would be highlighting from his report into the screening service at the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health.
Paul Reck, whose wife Catherine was one of the 20 who died after receiving a false negative result, told the MoS that an individual there had asked Dr Scally if he felt there had been a cover-up on behalf of the HSE and Dr Scally’s replied that there was ‘no one competent enough’ to carry out a cover-up.
Mr Reck described this revelation as a ‘damning statement’ and that it was terrifying to think ‘that these were the people taking care of the women of Ireland’.
The MoS put this interaction to a spokesman for Dr Scally, and received no response to a request for comment.
Speaking earlier this week at the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health, Dr Scally, whose report was well-received, revealed that specific training in how to collect cervical smears is entirely voluntary.
Dr Scally told the Committee that he believes training should perhaps be compulsory – if only to properly explain to women what is happening during the process.
Dr Scally admitted that he didn’t address the issue of educating frontline staff in his report but ‘perhaps should have done’.
He said: ‘There is no requirement for training in taking samples or indeed working with women to have a successful cervical screening experience, in other words, getting a good sample and getting the consent of the woman. Some very good training is carried out, but it is entirely voluntary.
‘I wonder whether that should be compulsory and that a modicum of training should be provided for all the clinicians involved in taking the samples and dealing with the women, if only to ensure they can explain properly to the woman what is happening and also in the context of the whole programme shifting quite significantly next year to the HPV testing as a primary test, which will be much more accurate.’
There is no requirement for people to be properly trained, which Dr Scally described as ‘far from ideal’.
The impact of a lack of training led to circumstances where women who presented with symptoms of cervical cancer were turned away by clinicians because their previous smear came back as clear.
According to Dr Scally, this was a scenario which he came across many times over the course of his investigation into the failings of CervicalCheck.
‘There was some evidence of delays in the treatment of women because of them having had a normal smear and it was regarded that it could not possibly be a serious cervical cancer issue. Education of staff is extremely important.’
He also highlighted the importance of educating patients on potential symptoms.
‘No one competent enough for cover-up’ ‘Education of staff is extremely important’