Clear roadmap needed for cancer screening services return says Labour

Programmes like Breastcheck, Cervical check and BowelScreening were put on hold around the country in March, in response to the ongoing emergency surrounding the outbreak of Covid-19.

There are calls for the publication of a clear roadmap for the return of cancer screening services.

Programmes like Breastcheck, Cervical check and BowelScreening were put on hold around the country in March, in response to the ongoing emergency surrounding the outbreak of Covid-19.

But concerns have been raised that no date to restart the services has been published.

Labour party leader Alan Kelly says cancer screening is a priority.

He says: "The roadmap for bringing back services I understand is going to be announced next week.

"But cancer screening has to be up there. We don't have screening in place for bowel screening, cervical cancer screening, the HPV rollout there was meant to happen and obviously you have Breastcheck.

"The reality is that because this isn't in place people are going to have delayed diagnoses because they are not going to know they have issues in some cases.

"We really need to get these up and running as quickly as possible."