BowelScreen, [1] BreastCheck [2] and CervicalCheck [3] are cancer screening programmes organised by the Health Service Executive (HSE) in the Republic of Ireland.
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BowelScreen is the national bowel cancer screening programme. [1] It was launched in November 2012 by Minister for Health James Reilly, with the eventual aim of providing bi-annual screening to men and women aged 55–74. [4]
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BreastCheck is the national breast cancer screening programme. [2] It was initially founded under Micheál Martin's tenure as Minister for Health and Children in October 2000 as a pilot in a limited number of health boards. [5] [6] [7] Over 70% of the women invited to take part in the screening in the first year, accepted. [5]
CervicalCheck is the national cervical screening programme. [8] It was launched in September 2008 as the public name of the National Cancer Screening Service. [9] In May 2008, then Chief Executive Officer Tony O'Brien dismissed claims that misdiagnoses would result from the use of US-based lab Quest Diagnostics. [9]
On 26 April 2018, the HSE confirmed that 206 women developed cervical cancer after having a screening test which was subsequently deemed to be potentially inaccurate on lookback, once a woman presented with a confirmed diagnosis of Cervical Cancer and given the known limitations of screening using smear technology. [8] In May, HSE director-general Tony O’Brien took temporary leave of absence from the board of a US medical company amid renewed calls for him to stand aside from his position due to the ongoing controversy. [10] Tony O'Brien announced his resignation as director-general of the HSE with effect from close of business on 11 May. [11]