Fed: Health lab watchdog denies massive problem

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Fed: Health lab watchdog denies massive problem

CANBERRA, April 12 AAP - The health laboratory watchdog organisation today denied therewas a massive emerging problem of doubtful pap smears.

National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) chief executive Tony Russell saidit was was irresponsible for the company General Diagnostics Laboratory (GDL) to claimthere could be another 500,000 suspect tests.

"At the moment there are no imminent issues emerging that suggest to us that thereare problems that require new screening," Mr Russell said on the Seven network.

"If that occurred tomorrow and it could occur tomorrow, then clearly the processesare available to advise the relevant health authorities who would then take the actionto advise affected patients that they should be rescreened.

"It is irresponsible to suggest that there is a massive problem in the community. Thatis not true."

GDL, under fire over 34,000 suspect pap smear results, has lost its Medicare accreditationfor the second time for failing to meet performance benchmarks.

The company yesterday said it was being unfairly singled out by NATA as 28 other labsthroughout Australia had failed to meet quality assurance checks but were still able tooperate.

GDL chief executive Bill Anton said if his company's results were suspect, then theresults of some 500,000 women tested at those labs were also in doubt.

Mr Russell said GDL was subject to exactly the same scrutiny, evaluation and comprehensivereview of their technical competence as all other accredited laboratories.

He said denial of accreditation was based on a combination of factors.

"Those factors are such that the laboratory has not complied with requirements to theextent that we have denied accreditation," he said.

"Where there is a concern about non-compliance, there is a potential risk to public health."

Mr Russell said there could never be a guarantee but the public could be reassuredby NATA's continuous process of evaluation.

"Laboratories are subject to continuing reassessment by technical experts," he said.

"In addition there are external quality assurance programs where practical testingdata and other statistical information about laboratory performances are also take intoaccount in our evaluation of their competence."

AAP mb/ph/de

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