New CervicalCheck lab will not be fully operational for five years

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said the new National Cervical Screening Laboratory will process around 10% of CervicalCheck slides by March and will then 'ramp up as quickly as possible'. Picture: Brian Lawless

It will be another five years before the new CervicalCheck lab is fully operational and, even then, some slides will be sent aboard.

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has said the new National Cervical Screening Laboratory which opened late last year in the Coombe Hospital will be processing around 10% of CervicalCheck slides by March and it intends "to ramp up as quickly as possible" after that.