Review commissioned after reports into cervical screening failures published

An expert review of all reports into cervical screening failures at a Northern Ireland health trust has been announced by Health Minister Mike Nesbitt.

However, the minister has stopped short of ordering a statutory public inquiry into a major recheck of smear test results in the Southern Health Trust, which had been requested by some campaigners.

Around 17,500 women in the trust area who were screened between 2008 and 2021 had to have their results rechecked after concerns were first raised in a report commissioned by the Royal College of Pathologists.

It emerged last year that the trust review showed eight women went on to develop cancer after their smears were misread.

Mr Nesbitt announced on Wednesday that three reports related to reviews of the failures had been published.

In a statement he said he has now asked Professor Sir Frank Atherton, previously the chief medical officer in Wales, to conduct an expert review of all the published reports to date.

Mr Nesbitt said the review findings were expected in 2026 and would be delivered directly to him “without any influence” from officials in the Southern Trust or the Public Health Agency (PHA).

The minister said: “From the outset, I have sought to understand what happened, who was responsible, why it happened and how can we prevent it happening again.

“It is clear there were significant issues with the Southern Trust’s laboratory including the management processes in place at a trust level and the quality assurance of the Public Health Agency was inadequate.

“As to why it was allowed to continue for so long, it is evident that the method for reviewing individuals’ performance within the trust was taken in isolation and that performance trends over several years were not monitored.”

Mr Nesbitt said cervical screening is no longer undertaken in Southern Trust and has been centralised in Belfast Trust.

He added: “I acknowledge that this has been a difficult and challenging time for many people, particularly for the women who were part of the review and those impacted by cervical cancer, but I remain committed to understanding the circumstances and events which led to the precautionary review of cervical cytology in the Southern Trust.”

The Ladies with Letters campaign group questioned why the minister had “chosen to ignore the calls from the many women and their families to establish a statutory public inquiry”.

A spokesperson added: “The minister has said that the issues at hand are complex.

“He has said that he has commissioned a further expert report to identify any gaps in existing reports, prolonging this already drawn-out process and further adding to anger and frustration.

“Our view has always been that gaps will inevitably remain unless the minister listens to those who have suffered most and establishes an inquiry which is capable of ‘looking behind’ the data and statistics to establish what we suspect is a very human problem at the heart of these issues.

“An inquiry would also compel those involved, from the screeners to the management, to give an account of what went wrong so there is full transparency to enable us to understand why and how these failures were allowed to continue for a shocking 13-year period.”

Sinn Fein MLA Linda Dillon said Mr Nesbitt’s statement “creates more questions than answers”.

She said: “Women deserve clear, honest communication and reassurance that lessons have truly been learned.

“The focus must be on speaking directly to women as well as the wider public to rebuild confidence in the screening system.”

SDLP health spokesman Colin McGrath said another review will “delay justice”.

He said: “While the publication of these reports and the Health Minister’s engagement with affected families are positive steps, the decision to initiate yet another review falls far short of what’s needed.

“Every additional review simply delays justice for the women who were failed and for the families who continue to live with the consequences.”