History may repeat if New Zealand's cervical cancer screening programme is not properly monitored, and there are signs oversight could be lacking due to public sector cuts, Labour health spokeswoman Annette King says.
The claims have been dismissed by Associate Health Minister Jo Goodhew, who said recommended improvements to the National Screening Unit were being implemented as planned.
Ms King released information showing six Ministry of Health programmes aimed at improving the cervical screening programme were delayed in 2011-12 due to staff vacancies.
She said the previous Labour Government strengthened the National Screening Unit after revelations from the 2001 Gisborne cervical screening inquiry into under-reporting of abnormal smears during the 1990s.
''I think we should have learnt from history - you can't play around with programmes like this. You've got to keep them constantly under audit and monitoring.''
The Government used vacancies in the public sector to save money, she said.
''We cannot let years of work since the Gisborne inquiry go to waste. If we haven't learnt from that, then there is every likelihood history will repeat.''
Ms King said she did not know if the situation had improved in the current financial year, but even if it had, up to a year's progress could have been stymied.
Ms Goodhew, in a statement, said all 39 recommendations in a parliamentary review of the programme in 2011 were on track. Behind-schedule projects highlighted by Ms King were ''routine activities'' and were now on track. The delays had no adverse effect on the programme, she said.
