A notice of Motion, expressing solidarity with the ‘Ladies with Letters’ campaign group, and calling for a public enquiry to ensure that there is no repeat of the cervical screening review scandal which has affected 17,500 women in the Southern HSC Trust alone, enjoyed unanimous support recently.
Tabled by Councillor Kerri Martin (SDLP, Cookstown DEA) and seconded by Councillor Christine McFlynn (SDLP, Magherafelt DEA), it was discussed at the October 23 monthly meeting of Mid Ulster District Council, and was worded as follows.
“Mid-Ulster District Council recognises the courage and bravery of the ‘Ladies with Letters’ campaign group who are representing 17,500 women, will amplify their frustration with the Department of Health, and will write to the Minister of Health to show our support for their continued calls for an independent inquiry.”
Addressing the Council Chamber, Councillor Martin explained why she had decided to table her notice of Motion.
“I move this Motion tonight in recognition of the courage, persistence, and indeed, the pain behind the ‘Ladies with Letters’ campaign.
“The Ladies with Letters are a courageous collective of 17,500 women who were directly impacted by the cervical screening review scandal in the Southern Trust, with all receiving letters informing them that their past smear tests needed to be reviewed.
“As you all can imagine, this brought significant fear and confusion to all women involved, as well as their families.
“Unfortunately, at the time of writing, two women have passed away and at least eight others have developed cervical cancer.
“For too long, women’s health has been an after-thought. The Ladies with Letters campaign group are shining a light on that reality, and they deserve our backing.
“So, tonight, I ask colleagues across this Chamber to send a clear, united message via a letter to the Department and to the Minister of Health, that this Council stands with the Ladies with Letters, that we support their call for an independent inquiry, and that we recognise their courage in transforming personal pain into collective action for change.”
Councillor Córa Corry (Sinn Féin, Carntogher DEA) expressed support for the Motion.
“Sinn Féin will be supporting the Motion, and I would like to start by commending the strength, courage and dignity of the Ladies with Letters, and their fight to uncover the truth in the cervical smear testing scandal, and demanding accountability so that lessons are learned, and to ensure that nothing like this happens again.
“Listening to the stories of just some of the 17,500 women in the Southern Trust area who received that letter two years ago, informing them that there was an issue with the accuracy of some smear test results provided by the Trust laboratory, and learning that the results could have been abnormal, is heartbreaking.
“The women then learned that many more were affected in other Trusts and [they had] also received letters.
“A number of women then discovered that they had developed cervical cancer as a result of misread smear tests.
“Erin Harbinson and Lynsey Courtney sadly died as a result of several misread smear tests.
“And yet again, no later than last month, there were issues with the reading of 10,000 smear tests in the Belfast Trust, which then had to be sent to a lab in England for further testing.
“Women have lost trust in the system, and that needs to be urgently acknowledged and properly addressed. Public confidence in accurate smear testing needs to be restored.
“Women are being failed in health time and time again. There is little to no treatment for endometriosis.
“There is still no Mental Health Unit for mothers and babies facing postpartum psychosis.
“The debacle of the maternity unit, among many other let-downs, and the fact that the Women’s Health Action Plan has still not been brought forward. This is simply not good enough.
“How many more women must suffer before these issues are prioritised and addressed?
“The Ladies with Letters are an inspiration and should drive us all on to do whatever we can to improve women’s healthcare and outcomes.
“And I would like to take the opportunity to encourage women to ensure that they go for their smear tests, as they can save lives.”
Councillor Eva Cahoon (Democratic Unionist Party, Cookstown DEA) echoed her Council colleagues’ remarks.
She said: “It is now just over two years have passed since 17,500 women in Northern Ireland received notification from the Southern Health and Social Care Trust, informing them that their cervical screening test may have been read incorrectly.
“This is a scandal that has had a devastating impact. It’s caused concern and fear for all of those who received letters, while others have faced invasive procedures, including hysterectomies, as a result of the failures.
“Tragically, two ladies have lost their lives. If their tests had been read correctly, they could have been diagnosed and treated earlier.
“All of those who have suffered deserve answers, and they deserve clarity.
“And it’s vital that all women can be assured that such a failure can never occur again, and that women have confidence in the cervical smear programme.
“The Royal College of Pathology report found a persistent failure to tackle underperformance by some cervical screening staff.
“It is therefore of deep concern that we have a cycle of examples of shocking mismanagement within our local Health Trusts, and yet no one seems to be held accountable.
“On a matter of such seriousness, a statutory public inquiry is needed to establish the full truth and provide recommendations that will restore confidence.
“We know that there’s ongoing technical issues with equipment in Northern Ireland’s only laboratory for HPV screening in the Belfast Trust, and this has resulted in thousands of tests being sent to England for screening since September 30.
“This creates the potential for further delay, backlogs, and distress to women affected. The Minister of Health must urgently clarify when this vital equipment will be fully operational.
“It’s unacceptable that women should face further delays and uncertainty.
“I join with others in commending the Ladies with Letters campaign group for their tireless work to advance this issue.
“This scandal highlights the urgent need for lessons to be learned. Women’s health services must be held to the highest standards, to ensure this never happens again.
“A statutory public inquiry is what is needed in order to determine the facts, and bring forward robust recommendations capable of restoring public confidence in cervical screening.
“We all must ensure that women can have full confidence and know that their health is in safe hands.”
Councillor Trevor Wilson (Ulster Unionist Party, Cookstown DEA) praised the bravery of the Ladies with Letters and backed their call for some form of independent scrutiny, albeit not necessarily in the form of a public inquiry: “From the outset, I want to pay tribute to the Ladies with Letters campaign group.
“These women represent many others right across the Southern Trust. They have shown real bravery and determination.
“They’ve turned their own experience into a force for good, a real campaign for truth and accountability.
“Tragically, two women have lost their lives because of this. And of course, it takes enormous courage to come forward in the public eye and to challenge the system, when you feel it has let you down.
“Many of these women have never planned nor wanted to find themselves in the public eye, but they have done an amazing job at highlighting a really important issue.
“And of course, for some of those involved, it is incredibly personal to them.
“The public deserves to know exactly what happened, how it happened, and what steps are being taken to ensure that it never happens again.
“So, in hopefully supporting this Motion, Mid Ulster District Council is adding our names to theirs.
“We’re saying clearly we must stand for the wider campaign, and we want to see their outcomes fully addressed.
“At the same time, I think it’s important to recognise the work that has already been done by the Department of Health and by the Minister.
“Since taking office, Mike Nesbitt has met with campaigners and the Ladies with Letters group on several occasions, and he’s already taken practical steps to rebuild trust and ensure the system learns from what has happened.
“That includes by commissioning expert reviews and investigations, including some led by highly-qualified clinicians working across public health in the NHS, but with no connection to Northern Ireland.
“It should also be noted that the Department’s upfront approach has been helpful. It hasn’t sought to dismiss or diminish in any way what happened.
“I do think we are seeing a genuine willingness to put things right.
“On that note, I completely understand why the Ladies with Letters are calling for an independent public inquiry.
“What matters most is that the truth comes out, that lessons are learned and that action is taken.
“Whether that’s through a public inquiry or another independent process, the outcome, not the format, should be our focus.
“So, when we write to the Department, I hope we can express both our total support for the Ladies with Letters group, but also some recognition of the steps already taken to find the truth and make sure lessons have been learned.”
Having enjoyed broad support across the Council Chamber, Councillor Martin’s notice of Motion was consequently carried.
