Government News Index
Anger over Pap smear ban
By RUSSELL ROBINSON
Herald Sun
08mar02
TENS of thousands of Victorian women may be retested for cervical cancer after the Federal Government's move to withdraw Medicare accreditation from a major pathology service.
The Victorian Pathology Services Accreditation Board is expected to contact doctors and women who have been tested by the laboratory.
The accreditation board, which is already investigating the pathology service over inaccurate Pap smear re-sults, will meet today at the request of state Health Minister John Thwaites.
The meeting was brought forward after a Herald Sun report yesterday revealed a ban on the naming of the pathology service.
The identity of the laboratory cannot be revealed because of a suppression order imposed on the Herald Sun by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal this week.
The ban angered many women and doctors, who contacted the Herald Sun yesterday to voice their outrage.
An eastern suburbs doctor said she would have to retest about 500 patients after failing to reach the management of the laboratory she believes is in question.
"And that's just me. It doesn't include the other doctors in our practice who have done Pap smears," she said.
"I've been receiving calls from worried patients today, and that is a concern to me."
Women's groups yesterday joined in the call for the pathology service's identity to be revealed, while the Anti-Cancer Council will hold a special meeting over the controversy.
Federal Health Minister Kay Patterson said yesterday she was deeply concerned to hear allegations the lab had issued negative Pap smear results that were in fact positive.
Senator Patterson said she would write to 27,700 Victorian women recommending they see their GP if the Melbourne pathology lab loses accreditation.
The state accreditation board has been looking into the laboratory for some time.
It has the power to withdraw or cancel the pathology service's accreditation.
Mr Thwaites said while he could not order the board to take action, he believed it would fulfil his requests.
"This is a matter of real concern," he said.
"We want to ensure the legal processes don't lead to any long delays which would then delay notification."
He said state health authorities were working with the Health Insurance Commission on the matter.
The pathology service's Medicare accreditation for Pap smears was withdrawn last December by the then health minister, Michael Wooldridge.
The move came after a critical official report over tests.
The report detailed samples of Pap smears conducted by the laboratory, which had been sent out as negative but were in fact positive.
It cited low detection rates of abnormalities, concerns over laboratory procedures and, in general, concerns for public health.
Mr Wooldridge's decision to withdraw Medicare accreditation was immediately challenged by the laboratory before the AAT.
The tribunal granted a stay of proceedings and a decision was put on hold.
But the tribunal also ordered that the laboratory refer 5 per cent of its subsequent Pap smears to an independent laboratory for retesting.
That was raised to 10 per cent this week after the AAT rejected a submission by the Health Insurance Commission that all of the Pap smear results be sent out for verification.
The suppression order against the Herald Sun was sought by the laboratory when this newspaper contacted the laboratory's management for comment.
In a statement issued through a public relations firm last night, the laboratory said it was "currently engaged in an external, independent assessment process which will take several weeks".
The statement said that as a result of AAT orders the laboratory was "entitled to continue its business as usual".
But the Women's Trust of Victoria said women had a right to know the identity of the laboratory.
Women also had a right to know that the pathology service they used was "of the utmost quality".
"And if there is a pathology service that is not up to the mark, then I do believe I need to know that," executive director Mary Crooks said.
She said it was important that the action before the AAT was clarified and resolved quickly "because there is a lot of potential for confusion and panic".
"There is a lot at stake as far as women's peace of mind," she said.
Dr Ben Haagsma, president of the Australian Association of Pathology Practices told the Herald Sun it was his view that the laboratory should be revealed.
"It is a difficult question for me to answer, but on a personal note I believe these things should be made public," he said.
"Clearly, if there is negligence which could be deemed to be dangerous or life-threatening then clearly it is in the public interest that this thing should be made available."
In an official statement the association said the accreditation system for pathology services could not be compromised on quality.
"Because the accreditation system is rigorously applied, there are going to be situations where individual practices fail to meet acceptable standards for safety and quality," the association said.
"Where this happens, the AAPP strongly supports action to stop Medicare payments for tests by a laboratory which has failed accreditation."