Fears as cancer test rollout bungled

Women are being reassured no lives are at risk despite the federal government bungling the roll-out of a new cervical cancer screening test.

From May 1, the two-yearly pap test was supposed to be replaced by an improved five-yearly cervical screening test administered by one national register, along with the bowel cancer screening program.

But a leaked federal health department communique dated February 22 now reveals the new test has been delayed because the register will not be ready in time.

"The renewal of the National Cervical Screening Program is contingent on a high quality register that will support the new cervical screening test," it says.

"Without a register function, there will be no national system in place to provide screening histories to laboratories to inform clinical decision-making and no safety net supporting women with positive test results to get the follow-up they need."

The department still hopes to roll out the new test and register this year.

"Health is actively working with program partners, including Telstra Health the contracted service provider, states and territories, the pathology sector, healthcare providers, and Department of Human Services to understand impacts and determine a revised delivery date."

Chief Medical Officer Professor Brendon Murphy insists state and territories will use existing state-based registers to maintain the existing pap smear program.

"No lives are at risk as the current, highly successful pap smear test will remain," he said.

The doctor overseeing the introduction of the new test, Professor Ian Hammond, has previously told AAP a late-start to the new register would create major delays for women getting test results causing "significant anxiety".

A Senate inquiry was told any delay could cause chaos because the pathology workforce would shrink from May 1 in preparation for the changes, meaning there wouldn't be enough people to read the results.

Revelations of the bungled roll-out come just hours after Health Minister Greg Hunt sought to reassure concerned Australians the test would improve women's health, after 70,000 people signed a petition calling for the new test to be scrapped.

Those who signed the petition were concerned about the move to test women once every five years instead of two, amid a lack of public information about the coming changes.

Opposition health spokeswoman Catherine King said it was extraordinary the minister failed to mention the delay.

"When was he going to have the decency to admit that he has completely stuffed this up?" she said.

"It's only two months before the new test was due to commence and women and their GPs are being left in the dark because the government hasn't told them what is going on. This is not okay."

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull tried to blame the delay on Labor, insisting the opposition should have passed the legislation for the new register immediately.

But the legislation cleared parliament on October 13, two weeks before the October 30 deadline Telstra Health gave in order for it to have enough time to establish the new register.