Derry groups seek justice for women affected by misread smear tests

PICTURED ABOVE: At the launch of joint Cervical Cancer Awareness Month campaign from Hive Cancer Support and Team Sorcha are from left Marianne Flood. Michelle McLaren and Maureen Collins from Hive Cancer Support, Vincent and Christina Glen of Team Sorcha and Jacquie Loughrey from Hive. Team Sorcha was established in memory of Vincent and Christina's daughter Sorcha Glen who passed away from cervical cancer. (Photo - Tom Heaney, nwpresspics)

A Derry cancer charity coalition has renewed its call for the Northern Ireland Executive to hold an public enquiry into the misread smear test scandal.

Hive Cancer Support and Team Sorcha team up every January to mount a month long public campaign to raise awareness of issues around cervical cancer.

This year, they are using their platform to ask the government to hold a full statutory enquiry into misread smear tests which affected women across the North, including Derry.

There is a long standing history of collaboration between Hive Cancer Support and Team Sorcha, stretching back over 10 years.

Team Sorcha was set up in memory of Derry woman Sorcha Glenn who passed away from cervical cancer aged 23.

Sorcha’s request for a smear test was refused because of her age and she went on the receive a cervical cancer diagnosis.

She spent the final months of her life raising public awareness around this issue and after she passed away her family vowed to continue her crusade and set up Team Sorcha in her memory.

Together, Hive Cancer Support and Team Sorcha have campaigned on cervical cancer issues such as access to smear tests on demand and screening for HPV and have taken these campaigns to Stormont, Westminster and the Dáil.

In 2023 a quality assurance review found a significant number of smear tests - some dating back several years - in the Southern Trust may have been incorrectly read.

This meant some women’s cervical cancer went undiagnosed and untreated. In other cases pre cancerous cells went undetected and the women affected went on to develop cancer.

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Data uncovered by UTV last year showed underperformance in cervical screening across all health trusts in the North over several years.

The broadcaster’s investigation revealed that the Western Health and Social Care Trust held a small review into the work of one under-performing screener in 2018.

A Serious Adverse Incident report was compiled in 2019 focussing on this review.

Hive Cancer Support is currently supporting a number of women whose smear tests were misread.

Maureen Collins, Project Manager at Hive Cancer Support, said: “This isn’t just about test results - it’s about real women, real lives, and the trauma of finding out you might have been failed by the very system meant to protect you.

“We owe these women honesty, transparency, and swift action.

“This misreading of smear tests has been catastrophic for women who have gone on to develop cervical cancer but it has also reignited public concern over patient safety and transparency in our health system.

“Together with Team Sorcha we are demanding a full, independent investigation.

“This is about accountability, trust, and the right to safe healthcare.”