The Southern Health and Social Care Trust in Northern Ireland has announced that it will be conducting a review of approximately 17,000 women’s records following concerns about performance in its cervical screening services. The Trust commissioned an independent assessment by the Royal College of Pathologists (RCPath Consulting) to investigate these concerns, which were raised by senior laboratory staff in July 2022.
The RCPath Risk Assessment Report, published recently, revealed that while most negative results issued by the laboratory were accurate, a significant number of women may have received negative screening results that would have been flagged as potentially abnormal by other laboratories. As a precautionary measure, the Southern Trust will be reviewing the records of these women to ensure that the correct information was provided.
In most cases, the previous smear will be reviewed, as it is stored in the laboratory. However, in some cases, women will be invited to undergo a further smear test. The Trust will be sending personal letters to all affected women with more information. Women who have not received a letter do not need to contact their GP for an appointment, unless they have recently received an invitation for routine screening.
The Trust aims to address the concerns raised and improve service provision and oversight. Dr. Stephen Austin, Medical Director for the Southern Trust, expressed his apologies on behalf of the Trust for the situation and assured women that they are taking necessary actions to rectify the issue.
The effectiveness of Northern Ireland’s cervical screening program is reflected in the low number of cervical cancer cases compared to the global average. It is important to note that cervical screening is a preventative measure, not a diagnostic test. The smear test detects pre-cancerous changes that can be treated to prevent the development of cancer, but it cannot detect all potential abnormalities.
The Trust fully accepts the recommendations outlined in the RCPath report and is working with the Public Health Agency (PHA) and the Department of Health to implement them. Most of the recommendations have already been implemented, and efforts are underway to implement the remaining ones.
Dr. Joanne McClean, Director of Public Health at the PHA, encouraged eligible women to attend their cervical screening appointments as scheduled. Cervical screening has proven to be effective in detecting early abnormalities and preventing cancer. However, if women experience symptoms such as abnormal bleeding or pain in the lower pelvis, they should seek advice from their GP, even if they attend regular screening.
The Trust is also working on the introduction of primary HPV testing into the cervical screening pathway, which is a key recommendation of the RCPath report and will further improve the screening process.
