UPDATE: Final review of revisions to CervicalCheck screening programme nearly completed

The Department of Health has said that a final review of revisions to the controversial CervicalCheck screening programme is nearly complete.

It is understood that all recommended actions are now 96 per cent complete.

Dr Gabriel Scally, a Professor of Public Health at the University of West of England and the University of Bristol, conducted his inquiry more than three years ago, in response to revelations that hundreds of women had not been informed of an audit of their cervical smear tests after being diagnosed with cancer.

The Irish Times reported that he has consented to a request from Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly to undertake a final review and will begin this month.

Minister Donnelly explained: "Just six of the 170 actions arising now remain to be completed, and these are all in progress: I believe it is now timely and feasible to proceed with a final progress review."

Figures

In November 2021, the Irish Independent reported that data was released that revealed that CervicalCheck screenings fell by more than 60,000 last year after the service was disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The figures were revealed in a parliamentary reply to Peadar Tóibín, leader of Aontú, from the chief executive of the National Screening Service, Fiona Murphy.

It showed that the numbers declined from 229,176 in 2019 to 168,792 last year, however, screenings have risen this year with 237,848 tests carried out up to August.

When the CervicalCheck controversy initially arose in 2018, women were offered smear tests outside of the normal invitation interval which saw screenings rise to 355,745.