Commenting, the DUP Health Spokesperson said, “This scandal has had a devastating impact. It has caused concern and fear for all those who received letters whilst others have faced invasive procedures including hysterectomies as a result of the failures. Erin Harbinson and Lynsey Courtney both lost their lives.
I was glad to welcome some of these ‘Ladies with Letters’ to Stormont and help play a role in highlighting their campaign. Their visit coincides with the first anniversary of those 1,700 women receiving letters, and they were calling for support from all 90 MLAs for a statutory public inquiry into this scandal. All those who have suffered deserve answers and clarity. It is vital that people can also be assured that such a failure can never occur again and that women can have confidence in the cervical smear programme.
I had raised issues relating to the progress in dealing with the backlog of reviews repeatedly and will continue to do what I can to support all those affected. I hope that their call today will be heeded by the Minister and progress announced on this quickly.”