Western Trust urges women to avail of life-saving cervical screening after MLA raises concerns

Transcript

00:00I rise today to speak on behalf of many women in the Western Health and Social Care Trust

00:05and across Northern Ireland who are deeply concerned about the reports of smear tests

00:11that have been misread and which have led to devastating consequences for women.

00:17Since 2017, we know that there have been at least 12 serious adverse incidents registered

00:23in our trust area. It's not my intention to stir up fear here today,

00:29and I want to be really clear. It is in women's interests to come forward, and these tests are

00:36absolutely vital to detect the early signs of cervical cancer and then to prevent the disease.

00:42I will continue to urge women to do so. It is vital that women come forward for their smear test,

00:49and it can literally save your life to do so. But let's be honest. In order to ensure that

00:57as many women as possible come forward, we need to make sure that every woman has the confidence

01:02in the health service in the first place. We need to ensure that these concerns are dealt with

01:08and that the Minister of Health and the chief executives of all the trusts

01:12can reassure the public in relation to this issue. Trust and confidence are absolutely crucial.

01:19In the meantime, I encourage other women who might have been affected to come forward

01:23and share their stories. I have asked the Minister of Health whether he will start a

01:28public inquiry into cervical cancer screening. I look forward to working with the Minister

01:34and, indeed, his successor and colleagues from across the Chamber

01:38to ensure that women have confidence in these services. Thank you, Mr Speaker.