Women’s Health Action is questioning why colposcopy – or cervix scans – has seen significantly less improvement in wait times than other diagnostic services.
Colposcopy is a procedure to check the cervix for signs of precancerous or cancerous tissue.
Yesterday, Minister of Health Simeon Brown announced that waitlists for diagnostic services had reduced 21 percent overall.
Waitlists from June 2025 to June 2025 have fallen 9 percent for colposcopy and echocardiography. While CT waitlists were down 48 percent and MRI down 33 percent.
Manager of the action group, Isis McKay said, “Why has the reduction in the colposcopy waitlist been considerably smaller than the reductions seen in services such as CT and MRI scanning or coronary angiography?”
She questioned to what extent the use of private health providers contributed to the improvement.
Urgent colonoscopy services was the only service where waitlists had gotten worse, increasing two percent since June 2025.
“Understanding why some services are improving more quickly than others is crucial if we are to ensure equitable and timely access to care across the system.”
McKay asked the Government for transparency around the changes, saying this will help improve trust that it can be maintained long term.
“These details matter because there is no quick fix to the challenges facing our health system.
“The real measure of success will not simply be a temporary reduction in waitlist numbers, but whether people can consistently access the care they need, when they need it, regardless of where they live.”