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Cervical cancer screening reports are eagerly awaited by many women, hoping for answers and clarity following a scandal within the Southern Health Trust. Approximately 17,500 women were impacted, prompting calls for a public inquiry by Heather Thompson, a member of the campaign group Ladies with Letters. The Trust’s own review revealed that eight women whose smear tests were misread by screeners later developed cancer.
Thompson emphasized the group’s focus on achieving honesty and transparency, stating that while they hope the reports will shed light on the situation, their ultimate goal is to understand who allowed the issue to persist for 13 years without action. She highlighted the importance of holding individuals accountable and ensuring that affected women receive the answers they deserve to find closure.
In October 2023, it was revealed that 17,500 women in Northern Ireland were to have their smear tests rechecked as part of a comprehensive review dating back to 2008. The Ladies with Letters have been vocal in their calls for a statutory public inquiry into the matter, stressing the need for all stakeholders to be compelled to participate for a fair investigation. The decision on a public inquiry rests with Health Minister Mike Nesbitt, who has expressed his intention for the next steps in addressing the issue.
The independent reports commissioned into the screening program followed the Trust’s findings last December, where additional women were identified to have pre-cancerous changes in their cells. The Trust issued apologies to all those impacted by the screening errors, which were initially investigated as a Serious Adverse Incident. The review was prompted by the diagnoses of three women, with two of them tragically passing away. The Southern Trust’s precautionary review of screening results from 2008-2021 was initiated in response to a report highlighting persistent underperformance in some laboratory screeners’ work
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