On September 5, the HSE announced that LGH would not be allowed to accept any new referrals of public patients to its colposcopy service. Instead, they would be sent to Sligo Hospital.

Officials explained that the move was part of a strategic decision by the the National Cancer Screening Service to reduce the number of colposcopy centres in Ireland from nineteen to eleven, "in line with best practice".

DACC immediately protested the decision and launched a campaign to have it reversed.

Dr James McDaid, TD and a former minister, and Dr Edward Aboud, the gynaecology consultant at LGH, were both highly critical of the move as well, saying they could see no medical reason for it.

However, in an interview on Highland Radio yesterday, Pat the Cope Gallagher TD said that the unit at LGH is still accepting patients and he's confident the initial decision to close the unit will be reversed.

He added:"After a number of meeting with the HSE I have received assurances that the colposcopy unit at Letterkenny General Hospital will be retained for both public and private patients".

Betty Holmes, chairperson DACC, told the Journal yesterday that she had received as statement, dated September 25, from Paddy Rooney, assistant general manager at LGH.

The statement reads: "LGH are continuing to accept to all patients who are referred to LGH for colposcopy. The colposcopy service is continuing as is, until a decision is made at national level. All efforts are being made to be as compliant as possible."

Will continue

The National Cancer Screening Service has also told DACC: "The colposcopy service at LGH has not been identified for initial referrals of women. However in the interim, the unit will continue to provide colposcopy service to women already attending or awaiting colposcopy."

The DACC position remains unchanged, despite these statements, Mrs Holmes says.

"Where in either of those two statements does it name LGH as one of the centres delivering cs in the long term? Yes, patients are still being seen, but they're only honouring existing appointments.

"We are not going to stop our campaign until Letterkenny is named, on paper, as one of the country's centres for colposcopy service. We will not stop."

The group was invited to Dublin for last Friday's Late Late Show and Mrs Holmes says they were very happy with the reception they got.

"For the first time DACC were acknowledged at national level for the respectful and dignified way in which we conduct ourselves and Donegal was being acknowledged as the county that has been forgotten."