The GHA would like to reassure the community that the review which has been conducted is not in any way a cause for concern, but a policy change that will improve the cervical screening programme.

Minister Arias Vasquez would like to take this opportunity to invite the Hon. Ms Ladislaus to visit the GHA and see the new setup first hand; an impressive system that reflects the department’s hard work and resourcefulness, and is specifically designed to ensure that all women are screened accurately and in a timely manner.

Minister Arias Vasquez hereby invites Ms Ladislaus to visit the GHA and talk to the staff who have undertaken the review as well as those who are implementing it.

As clinical experts explained in detail yesterday, the cervical screening recall has been designed to cast as wide a net as possible to ensure that all eligible women benefit from the programme. The GHA was specifically instructed to adopt this broad approach to maximise coverage and ensure that no woman is missed.

As Dr Helen Carter confirmed, the figure of 12,000 likely includes a significant number of individuals who have left Gibraltar, are no longer eligible, or have opted for private healthcare. As a result, the actual number of women who need to be recalled is expected to be significantly lower.

This is a natural consequence of demographic shifts and should not be interpreted as a sign of failure. The figure also includes women who would typically fall outside the standard programme, as a conscious decision was made to extend screening to those over the age of 65.

The GHA is taking no risks and is making sure that all eligible women are invited to register for the programme. The recall exercise announced on Wednesday will invite women for screening according to clinical priority. The results will be processed in-house as quickly as possible and will be followed-up immediately in accordance with the reviewed pathway. This approach will ensure that nobody is left out, and will update the system so that nobody is left out in the future.

The GSD is incorrect to state that this new policy will lead to more cases of undetected cervical cancer.  Any screening programme aims to catch cancers earlier, before symptoms develop. It is strongly suggested that such claims are investigated prior to being made, as they can cause significant alarm in the population.

While it is understandable that the GSD interpret every new government policy or even a review of its databases as an abject failure, the GHA would like to reassure the people of Gibraltar that this could not be further from the truth. The reality is that, from now on, women in Gibraltar will receive screenings that will be of the highest quality in line with global healthcare standards.

The Minister for Health and Care, the Hon Gemma Arias-Vasquez, said: “The GHA’s clinical professionals have been working diligently to meticulously review every aspect of this complex pathway. Where opportunities for improvement were found, these have been pursued to the greatest lengths possible. We would urge the GSD not to try and score political points with something which is quite so serious and instead to come and see for themselves the programme which has been set up.”

“Public Health Gibraltar have made a huge amount of information available on their website, and I urge anyone with concerns to read up on every aspect of this policy change. There is also a team of trained professionals to answer any questions that women might have, and they can be reached on 200 50666.”

Note to Editors

Information is available online at: https://www.gha.gi/public-health/cervical-screening-recall/

For more information or to check your screening status, please visit the GHA website or contact the dedicated helpline at 200 50666 on Monday to Friday at 4pm to 6:30 pm, Saturday and Sunday 9:00am to 12:00pm for the first week (up until Tuesday the 8th April 2025), and then every Tuesday and Thursday from 4:00pm to 6:30 pm, and Saturdays from 9:00am to 12:00pm. Line opening times may be increased according to demand.