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A campaign group set up after a major recheck of smear test results in the Southern Health Trust Area, say they’ll take their quest for a statutory public inquiry to the UK Government if necessary. It comes ahead of an Assembly motion later today to be moved by the Alliance Party, and the publication of reports on what happened later this week. Tara Griffiths has more………….. Wording of motion and amendment – Motion: Cervical Screening Scandal Inquiry That this Assembly expresses concern at the lack of transparency, delay and slow pace of the investigations and reviews into both individual patients and the overall cervical screening scandal by the Department of Health and the Southern Health and Social Care Trust; recognises the steps taken by the Department of Health and the Southern Health and Social Care Trust regarding the recall of women for cervical screening; pays tribute to the Ladies with Letters campaigners who have fought hard for transparency in the issues that led to the underperformance of screeners and the recall of the slides of 17,500 women in the Southern Health and Social Care Trust area; acknowledges that, for some patients, the review was too late and lives were affected by this failure; and calls on the Minister of Health to establish a statutory public inquiry in order to uncover the full truth, establish accountability and ensure that such failures never arise again. Miss Nuala McAllister Mr Danny Donnelly Ms Paula Bradshaw Mrs Michelle Guy Leave out all after ‘Southern Health and Social Care Trust area;’ and insert: ‘acknowledges that, for some patients, the review was too late and lives were lost following this failure; notes with alarm the ongoing technical issues with equipment at Northern Ireland’s only laboratory for HPV screening in the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust; highlights that this has resulted in thousands of smear tests being sent to England for screening since 30 September 2025, creating the potential for further delay, backlogs and distress to the women affected; calls on the Minister of Health to urgently clarify when this vital equipment will be fully operational; and further calls on the Minister to establish a statutory public inquiry in order to uncover the full truth, establish accountability and ensure that such failures in the Southern Health and Social Care Trust, and throughout Northern Ireland, never arise again.’ [Mrs Diane Dodds] [Mr Alan Robinson]
