Women in 221+ to hold meetings with healthcare workers over CervicalCheck failures
Process was recommended by Dr Gabriel Scally in his initial report on historic failings in the CervicalCheck system, published in 2018. Picture: Brian Lawless/PA Wire
Women in the 221+ advocacy group affected by historical failings in CervicalCheck can now hold restoration of trust meetings as they partner with healthcare workers on reforms.
This follows two years of discussions between this group and health bodies including CervicalCheck, HSE and the Department of Health.The process was recommended by Dr Gabriel Scally in his initial report on historic failings in the CervicalCheck system, published in 2018.
Advocate Lyn Fenton said this was “a very important and valuable process” for everyone.
“It was necessary because when we started there wasn’t a true recognition of what had happened or of the extent to which it had undermined our willingness to trust and our confidence that our trust would not be abused,” she said.
“I’m proud of the work done by everyone involved and I look forward to it being a basis on which we can all work together to underpin public confidence in screening, which is a vital part of the programme to eliminate cervical cancer in Ireland”.
CervicalCheck, HSE and the Department of Health recently announced plans to make cervical cancer a rare disease by 2040.
221+ manager Ceara Martyn presented the agreement to members at the weekend in Athlone.
She said this could guide conversations with healthcare workers — individually, as a group and in private or in public.
“It took longer than we expected, but we were determined that it was worth spending time to get this right,” she said.
They wanted to reflect members' feeling "continuous attempts to reframe or overwrite the past had to be addressed before there could be trust in a conversation about the future”.
A separate joint statement from 221+, Department of Health, National Screening Service and CervicalCheck said: “We recognise the painful past and share a vision of the future.
“We all recognise the importance and value of the patient’s voice in applying a person-centered lens to women’s healthcare."
It highlights commitment to delivering on Dr Scally's recommendations, bringing "improvements in screening policy and an increased focus on women’s health".
They also said: “CervicalCheck is sorry for the harm that was caused to women and their families in the past.”
