Awarding of smear test contract to US firm sparks row

A ROW has broken out over the awarding of preferred bidder status for laboratory testing of cervical smears to a private US company.

The National Cancer Screening Service (NCSS) announced yesterday that Quest Diagnostics had been named as the preferred bidder for the provision of cytology cervical screening services, which is set to link in with a national screening programme for cervical cancer later this year. The finer points of contract terms are likely to be finalised in the coming weeks.

Quest Diagnostics welcomed the move, claiming it would deliver a “first-class” service to Irish women. Quest had been asked by the HSE last year to clear the existing backlog, which at one point stood at almost 11,000 smears.