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Of 4,500 repeat smear tests that expired, 2,500 have been retested

Around half of the women who were offered the option of a retest have taken it up.

THE HSE HAS said that 2,572 smear tests have been rechecked, after 4,500 women were offered to be retested after their samples weren’t examined within the recommended time frame. 

The US laboratory examining the slides has assured that the results of the smears that have been rechecked will be reported back in the next two weeks. Over 200 results have been reported in the last week, the HSE said.

On 31 January, CervicalCheck wrote to 4,459 women inviting them to have a repeat smear test. These were HPV smear tests, which is an additional process carried out on low-grade abnormality samples identified in the original cervical smear test.

The rechecks were needed after the slides weren’t examined within the recommended timeframe by the US laboratory Quest Diagnostics CervicalCheck.

The HSE said that “while CervicalCheck’s clinical team was and is assured that these HPV tests are likely to remain effective outside the manufacturer’s recommended timeframe and that the risk of incorrect results is low, in order to provide complete reassurance we invited these women to attend for a repeat smear test”.

Since 8 February, 2,572 repeat smear test samples have been received incrementally by Quest Diagnostics.

“While we are aware that the establishment of the ICT system for dealing with these tests took longer than anticipated, Quest are confident that remaining results will be reported to women within the next two weeks.”

Separately, a backlog in CervicalCheck smear tests has led to the waiting time for results to be extended from 2-4 weeks to over 20 weeks.

This article has been corrected to reflect that there aren’t ~2,000 smear tests waiting to be checked – instead just 2,572 women have accepted the offer of a retest, of the total of 4,459 to whom the offer was extended.

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11 Comments
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    Mute Michael Campbell
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    Sep 25th 2011, 1:30 PM

    Horrible sport and then when they have drawn blood and tortured the poor creature they go to mass Sick

    65
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    Mute Rachael M
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    Sep 25th 2011, 1:57 PM

    Good riddance to it, barbaric "sport"

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    Mute Jason Doyle
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    Sep 25th 2011, 3:04 PM

    About time.

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    Mute Mata Mata
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    Sep 25th 2011, 3:29 PM

    Here here !

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    Mute Diari Liffey
    Favourite Diari Liffey
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    Sep 25th 2011, 3:33 PM

    One step more towards independence. Thanks God they are banning this.
    The problem is not because it’s an Spanish tradition, it’s because apart from being a complete shame, Spanish traditions in Catalonia have always been imposed by force and that usually creates a rejection. Catalonia has its own traditions and culture, it does not need anybody to go there and replace them as some have been trying to do during the last 300 years..

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    Mute RG Cuan
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    Sep 25th 2011, 6:14 PM

    Maith thú, visca la terra!

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    Mute Jeff
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    Sep 26th 2011, 10:28 AM

    I am all for Catalonia independence as it means Shelbourne FC will get to play Barcelona FC in the qualifying rounds of champions league more often.

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    Mute Ryan Coughlin
    Favourite Ryan Coughlin
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    Sep 26th 2011, 12:45 AM

    You people are upset that this bull’s life gets ended in a quick 45 minute flurry? Sounds much nicer than living in a small crowded pen his entire life to get butchered and fed to some unthinking human. At least this bull got to live a somewhat natural existence outside with proper food and freedom.

    People always want to blame the OTHER guy for his mistakes. But the fact is, if you’re eating meat, you’re responsible for a whole heap of more animal cruelty, not to mention that meat is 1/4th part of the man-made CO2 today, and a big part in forest destruction.

    Frankly, this vegetarian would be happy letting the Spanish choose what to do with their (infrequently practiced) tradition, and then to ban all factory farms worldwide.

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    Mute Richard Fennessy
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    Sep 26th 2011, 8:08 AM

    quick 45 mins go visit a farm they live in fields not pens and the killing takes 2-5 seconds

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    Mute Ryan Coughlin
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    Sep 27th 2011, 2:33 AM

    Hi Richard.

    Quickly do a Google search. The amount of meat consumed on the planet that comes from traditional, non-factory farms is considerably less than 50%. And the proportion of non-factory animals in the world is decreasing per day.

    I imagine that most of us have never seen a steel mill, but it doesn’t mean that my metal products have come from a blacksmith.

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    Mute Richard Fennessy
    Favourite Richard Fennessy
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    Sep 25th 2011, 11:31 PM

    shame shame on the sickos who give thumbs down to this shameful blood thirsty evil scum i hope ye dont have kids r pets

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    Mute Diari Liffey
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    Sep 25th 2011, 7:40 PM

    Some pictures of this afternoon shame http://bit.ly/rjE7bl

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    Mute Jeff
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    Sep 26th 2011, 10:30 AM

    Bull fighting is no more cruel than Halal meat & dead a lot quicker and less painful.

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