MEDICAL LABORATORY scientists at hospitals across the country have warned that they may take industrial action in protest at the possible outsourcing of analyses of smear tests under the national cervical cancer screening programme.
The scientists are concerned that a number of public hospital laboratories have been turned down for reporting on smear tests to be taken under the national cervical cancer screening programme which is due to be rolled out later in the year.
They are especially worried the work may be outsourced to the US as happened last year when backlogs of smear tests were sent abroad by the Health Service Executive (HSE) to be cleared, and that this could jeopardise the work they are currently doing and their jobs.
At its annual general meeting in Kilkenny on Saturday, the Medical Laboratory Scientists' Association passed a motion challenging the decision of the National Cancer Screening Service to exclude several Irish laboratories from the national cancer screening programme and stating that it would vigorously oppose outsourcing of these services to private enterprise abroad.
The association also passed a motion demanding that the association take all steps necessary to maintain cytology services within the public service, "up to and including industrial action".
The general secretary of the association, Terry Casey, said yesterday that members were concerned that work currently carried out in public hospitals would go outside the country and about the impact that this would have on the future sustainability of their own laboratories.
The public hospital laboratories already turned down by the National Cancer Screening Service for work on the upcoming national cervical screening programme include those at University College Hospital in Galway as well as St Luke's Hospital, St James's Hospital and the Coombe Women's Hospital in Dublin.
However, the tendering process is not yet finalised and a number of Irish laboratories - including facilities at Beaumont and the RCSI - appear to be still in the running.
The service has said that an announcement of successful tenders would be made shortly. It required laboratories to have full accreditation and a 10-day turn-around time for reporting on smears before they could take part in the national programme.
Mr Casey said that a number of Irish laboratories were close to receiving accreditation later this year. There are understood to be about 70 medical scientists working in cytology in the State.
Minister for Health Mary Harney is expected to answer parliamentary questions on the laboratory services in the Dáil tomorrow.
Meanwhile, the results of a ballot on possible industrial action involving up to 30,000 health sector staff will be known today. The trade union Impact has carried out the ballot as part of its campaign against employment recruitment restrictions put in place by the HSE in an attempt to live within its exchequer allocation for the year.