Cervical screening scandal: Almost 30 women take legal action against health trusts

Almost 30 women have taken legal action against Northern Ireland's five health trusts since 2013 over the accuracy of their cervical smears, UTV can reveal.

These litigations were launched even before the Southern Health Trust was forced to review 17,500 women's results last year.

It comes as campaigners prepare to take their fight for a statutory public inquiry to Westminster.

Sandra and Ron Courtney spoke to UTV on Thursday as part of a special investigation into the cervical cancer screening scandal.

Their daughter Lynsey, died after her first ever smear test was misread.

They told UTV about their six-year battle to get answers from the Southern Health Trust about what went wrong.

"We don't want to have to go through what we went through when it could be prevented.

"You know, families shouldn't have to go through that sort of trauma", they said.

Sadly, Lynsey was not the only woman failed by years of mistakes within the Southern Health Trusts screening lab.

Erin Harbinson died last month following three misread smears, and other women have had to be treated for cancer that was preventable.

A major investigation by UTV revealed significant shortcomings stretching back as far as 2008 that were left largely unaddressed.

Shortcomings that the Courtney family tried to draw attention to but nothing was done.

UTV's findings have been met with anger by campaigners who want a statutory public inquiry into the scandal.

Heather Thompson from the group Ladies with Letters said: "I am angry. Disgusted, probably is a better term for me to use.

"I think it is dreadful that this was allowed to run on for such a long time and that's why I feel that it is so important.

"We have spoken to the Health Minister. We are really hoping that he will, whenever he has all the data back and all the information from the Southern Trust at the end of the review, that he will consider definitely initiating a statutory public inquiry.

UTV can reveal that since 2013, 25 legal actions have been launched against all five health trusts in Northern Ireland in connection with misread smear tests.

This suggests the problem goes beyond the Southern trust.

Sorcha Eastwood, MP for Lagan Valley said: "There will be people sitting round tables, families you have spoken about the issue of Lindsay and Erin who have been incredibly failed in the most grievous way.

"It is absolutely vital that we get to the bottom of this to understand so that other families do not have to go through this."

The Southern Health Trust has apologised for not recognising the underperformance of some screeners from 2008 to 2021.

A review of the trust's cervical screening services is due to be launched later this month.

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