CABINET HAS AGREED to give medical cards to dependents and family members of women affected by the CervicalCheck controversy for a further period of five years.
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly brought a memo to Cabinet today to extend access to the cards from May 2021 for a further five-year period.
The move to give further access to family members is part of a package of supports for the women and their families which was approved in May 2018.
At the time, the Government decided to put in place a package of supports for the women and their families who were adversely impacted by CervicalCheck.
However, there was a three-year expiry date on the cards for family members of the women.
All of the women in receipt of a card hold it “for life”, according to the HSE.
As of 1 January 2021, there are 403 affected women who hold medical cards (with no expiry date), issued under this supports package, while 1,094 dependents hold cards.
The estimated cost for the 1,094 medical cards is €1.3m per annum.
221+, the CervicalCheck Patient Support Group, said today’s news is to be welcomed.
The CervicalCheck programme is currently encouraging as many women as possible to use the free cervical screening service as possible – particularly in the wake of decreasing numbers caused by the Covid-19 restrictions.
CervicalCheck campaigners, health experts, doctors, reports and reviews have all encouraged women to take part in the cervical cancer screening programme, which is free if you’re aged between 25-65 and can be carried out at your local GP.
You can check if you’re on the CervicalCheck register here; or read more about the CervicalCheck screening programme, and its new, more accurate form of testing, here.
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