Meeting of the Parliament 22 January 2019
It could certainly be an option. All options that make women feel comfortable about taking the test should be explored.
We should also consider out-of-hours provision, and persuading employers to be more sympathetic to letting women have time off work to go for the test.
I notice that I am over my time, but I want to mention an issue that is not given enough thought, which is that health screening, for example for breast or cervical cancer, is not available to many women who are homeless. Women who are living on the streets or in hostel accommodation or women’s refuges may not receive appointment letters or have a GP. They might have no idea how to go about getting a screening. Screening might be—and probably is—the least of their worries, but the issue is one that, as a society, we should all be concerned about. I will be interested to hear the minister talk about how it could be addressed.
Once again, I thank Monica Lennon for bringing this important women’s health issue to the chamber—and I thank the Presiding Officer for the bit of extra time.
17:28