Lethbridge NDP office

Recently we have heard that the Cytology Lab at the Chinook Regional Hospital may be replaced by a private lab.

A specialized group of Medical Laboratory Technologists (Cytotechnologists), who work with
pathologists to screen and diagnose pap tests, are concerned with these changes proposed by Alberta
Health Services to move toward laboratory centralization. Their concerns are as follows:

• The pathologists will no longer be able to correlate/compare the gynaecological pap test results with the colposcopy tissue samples. This is especially important with abnormal results. Currently the pathologist reviews both tests together and reports to the family physician the best recommendation for treatment/follow-up. If these tests are separated, the family physician could receive two different reports and recommendations which may lead to patients receiving inappropriate treatment/follow-up.
• It would disrupt the quality assurance programs that are in place which ensure a high quality of service.
• Sending slides away to other regions may slow the receipt of patient results and increase the potential to lose the pap tests.
• It may be the beginning of further centralization of laboratory services.
• It will become more difficult to attract/retain health care professionals in Alberta when there are current shortages.

Please send this completed petition, along with any letters to:

Impact of Centralizing Labs (PDF)

Instructions—Please drop petition sheets off at:

Petition Cytology (PDF).