Campaigners Vow Fight After Screening Inquiry Denied

Campaigners are exploring legal avenues after Northern Ireland's Health Minister, Mike Nesbitt, rejected calls for a public inquiry into cervical screening service failures. The Ladies With Letters group has persistently sought a statutory inquiry following issues at the Southern Health Trust, which led to about 17,500 women having their smear test results re-examined, and eight women developing cancer. Minister Nesbitt indicated that existing reports have addressed the necessary questions, a stance met with disappointment by affected women.

Tracey Bell, representing the campaigners, labeled the decision a "blatant refusal to uncover the truth" and an insult to those affected. Leona Patterson, diagnosed with cervical cancer after three misread smear tests, expressed that the latest review offered little comfort. Both the Public Health Agency and Minister Nesbitt acknowledged the difficulties faced by affected women and families, with the PHA apologizing and stating recommendations from reviews are being implemented.

Sir Frank Atherton's independent review found management and governance failings within the Southern Trust and PHA. While acknowledging inherent "false negative" results in screening programs and potential human error, the review noted "variations" in the Southern Trust's program undermined performance monitoring. The review suggested it was unlikely large numbers of women were adversely affected, but emphasized the need for close monitoring of the new HPV screening service for early issue identification.