24 May 2001

Government follows through on Gisborne Cervical Screening Inquiry recommendations

Health Minister Annette King says the $3.9 million in the budget to implement Gisborne Cervical Screening Inquiry recommendations will help reassure New Zealand women they can have confidence in the National Cervical Screening Programme.

Mrs King said when she released the Inquiry report in Gisborne on April 10 that the Government was committed to adopting the report's 46 recommendations.

"Those recommendations, two-thirds of which are now either in effect or being implemented, provide a framework for an improved national programme.

"That is why it is essential we not only carry them out, but continue to monitor and audit the programme to make sure it is as effective as possible."

Mrs King said the new funding would cover recommendations including:
- the use of experts to participate in comprehensive evaluation of the National Cervical Screening Programme;
- public consultation on a number of legislative changes;
- the development of a plan to improve the National Cervical Screening Programme's supporting information systems.

"More than one million women are enrolled in the National Cervical Screening Programme. This funding shows the Government's commitment to making the programme more effective and monitoring the quality of its work."

ENDS

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