Govt insists GHA's new cervical screening policy will improve standards of care

The Gibraltar Health Authority said the recent review of its cervical screening programme should not be a cause for concern and is instead part of a policy change designed to improve healthcare standards.

The GHA said the recall process announced on Wednesday is aimed at ensuring that all eligible women are invited to register for screening, with invitations prioritised according to clinical need. Results will be processed internally and followed up in line with the updated care pathway.

The revised approach includes screening women who fall outside the standard age range, including those over 65, in order to maximise coverage.

Clinical experts explained that the figure of 12,000 likely includes individuals who have left Gibraltar, are no longer eligible, or have opted for private care. The actual number of women requiring recall is expected to be significantly lower.

Dr Helen Carter said the broader approach had been adopted specifically to ensure that no woman is missed. The GHA added that demographic shifts are a natural part of healthcare planning and should not be viewed as a failure.

The Minister for Health and Care, Gemma Arias-Vasquez, has invited her Opposition shadow, Joelle Ladislaus, to visit the GHA to view the new system and speak with the team behind its implementation. She said the new system reflects the department’s efforts to provide accurate and timely screenings.

Ms Arias-Vasquez said: “The GHA’s clinical professionals have been working diligently to meticulously review every aspect of this complex pathway.”

“Where opportunities for improvement were found, these have been pursued to the greatest lengths possible.”

“We would urge the GSD not to try and score political points with something which is quite so serious and instead to come and see for themselves the programme which has been set up.”

“Public Health Gibraltar have made a huge amount of information available on their website, and I urge anyone with concerns to read up on every aspect of this policy change.”

“There is also a team of trained professionals to answer any questions that women might have, and they can be reached on 200 50666.”

The Government was responding after the GSD raised concerns following the announcement earlier this week about an overhaul of the screening programme.

In a statement following the announcement, the GSD said the data revealed pointed to longstanding issues with the GHA’s electronic record-keeping system.

It said that while the Government was presenting the new screening policy as a positive step, it remained unclear whether the system could cope with a potential sudden influx of patients.

Ms Ladislaus said: “Considering that early detection saves lives, too little has been done in the past four years to ensure that women are receiving regular cervical screening.”

“The Government has been well aware of the shortcomings in the GHA’s cervical screening programme for several years now. There are clearly systemic failings which must now be resolved swiftly and effectively.”

The GSD pointed to previous concerns raised in July 2021 following numerous public reports of difficulties accessing appointments.

At the time, the then Minister for Health had stated that 359 appointments remained to be rescheduled and would be addressed within three months. The party questioned why the situation appeared to have worsened since then.

The GSD also noted that 15 cases of cervical cancer had been diagnosed since 2021 and questioned how many undetected cases may emerge due to what it described as clear failings in the screening programme in recent years.

The party added that even accounting for women who have left Gibraltar or are no longer eligible for screening, the numbers demonstrated the need for urgent reforms.

The GHA insisted that the aim of the programme was to detect cancer earlier, before symptoms appear, cautioning that inaccurate claims could cause unnecessary alarm.