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Following last week's briefing on the Southern Trust's cervical smear review MLA Liz Kimmins has said that she believes there are many unanswered questions and has called for greater transparency on the past failures in cervical screening in the Trust area.
The Sinn Féin health spokesperson said: “The cervical screening failures have profoundly undermined public confidence, especially among the 17,500 women who tests were reviewed. Transparency, accountability, and restoring confidence are vital moving forward.
"At yesterday's health committee briefing on the cervical smear review, it became very clear there remains many unanswered questions. The women impacted, and their families, deserve to know what happened and how these failures were allowed to persist for over a decade."
In October 2023, the Southern Health Trust launched a precautionary cervical screening review for 17,425 women. The review was carried out in partnership with the Public Health Agency (PHA) to check that the original cervical screening result provided to the women was correct.
The Newry and Armagh MLA added “Women need to have confidence in the screening process and the department, trust and Public Health Agency must make this a priority”.
“While we continue to seek answers and accountability, I want to emphasise that smear tests save lives. Women should continue to attend their screenings as they remain a critical tool in the fight against cervical cancer. It is essential that we do not let these failures deter women from accessing this life-saving service."
