One of the last public screening clinics for cervical cancer has been discontinued by the Western Health Board (WHB).
The WHB said yesterday that the regular, free, cervical smear clinics run by public health nurses cannot continue, as they are not in line with international best practice.
Current best practice dictates that the service must be "doctor-led" and the results must be interpreted by a medical practitioner in the context of the patient's overall history.
However, Dr Maura O'Shea, public health specialist with the WHB, said yesterday that she looked forward to a "nationwide" extension of the national pilot cervical screening programme, currently run in the Mid-Western Health Board area.
The decision to discontinue the clinics means that private patients will have to pay for smear tests when they visit their GP
Such tests should be carried out every five years among women aged between 25 and 60 years. Cervical cancer is a preventable illness if detected in smear tests. There are 40 cases every year of cervical cancer in the WHB region and five deaths.
Dr O'Shea said that women would still have the option of attending women's health sessions, which are run by about a quarter of all GPs in the Galway, Mayo and Roscommon area, and are grant-aided by the WHB.
Holders of GMS cards will be able to avail of cervical cancer smear tests at these sessions. Smear tests will also be available in family planning and Well Woman clinics, where there is a doctor present.
Not all health boards had introduced the free smear test service, which was pioneered at University College Hospital, Galway more than 30 years ago by a group of doctors, including Dr Thora Heyerdahl-O'Dowd.
For many years, Ms Maura Tummon, a public health nurse, carried out the clinics throughout the region, with advance notices being placed in local papers.
