Mrs Dodds said, “The task of dealing with issues facing our Health Service isn’t just limited to the Department of Health but with issues across Health and Social Care Trusts. We are all aware of the devastating impact that failures in the cervical screening programme have had on women in the Southern Trust area. Many have faced invasive procedures including hysterectomies whilst Erin Harbinson and Lynsey Courtney both lost their lives.
The Minister said he had not been made aware of any issues relating to the Belfast screening lab or that its accreditation had been withdrawn by the UKAS last year after an unannounced inspection citing issues including a lack of management. The public deserve the highest quality services and those which they can have confidence in. It would be important if the Minister can give reassurance to the public, not just about this service in the Belfast Trust, but across all Trust areas in Northern Ireland.
That is particularly important given the Public Health Agency awarded the contract for the new centralised screening lab to the Belfast Trust. The public deserve full transparency on these issues and reassurance about the safety of this service right across Northern Ireland.”