AQO 111/22-27 Oral question to the Minister of Health
To ask the Minister of Health for an update on the progress of the Southern Health and Social Care Trust's Cervical Screening Review.
Asked by Eóin Tennyson MLA on 22 February 2024
- Answered
- Oral
- Answered in the Chamber
- Tabled
- 22 February 2024
- Answer due by
- 4 March 2024
- Answered
- 4 March 202411 days after tabling
- Department
- Department of Health
- Priority question
- No
Answer
Answered in the Assembly Chamber on 4 March 2024. Extract from the Official Report (Hansard), including any supplementary questions:
Mr Swann
I thank the Member for his question. The ongoing cervical cytology review in the Southern Health and Social Care Trust involves up to 17,500 women. It contains two elements: a review of the cervical screening slides held by the trust for women who have had a smear test; and a call forward inviting women to have a new cervical smear test where a previous slide is no longer held or is no longer suitable for review. As of 28 February, 2,564 slide reviews had been completed, and the trust has called forward 1,960 women to attend for a cervical smear test, of which 621 have attended to date. An additional 2,255 women with the overall review cohort have already attended for their next routine cervical smear test, which will remove the need for them to have their older slides reviewed, as their latest test will provide the most up-to-date and accurate assessment.
My Department continues to work closely with the Public Health Agency and the Southern Health and Social Care Trust to ensure that the review is progressed in a safe and timely manner. It is a complex review. Plans to increase the number of slides to be reviewed weekly are now well advanced, with the intention that the full review will be completed by early summer.
Mr Tennyson
I thank the Minister for his answer. He will be aware that NHS England has set a target of eliminating cervical cancer by 2040. The Minister recently set out his plans for a women's health action plan for the next three years, but will he also commit to a women's health strategy that will extend a similar target to Northern Ireland?
Mr Swann
The Member's question raises a very important point about where we move with the development of our women's health action plan as we take it to the next step of developing a strategy from the action plan. We announced the introduction of primary human papillomavirus (HPV) testing. When that is introduced, my hope is that, not only will it remove a significant part of the current backlog, it will speed up the ability to report on those slides and tests. Those steps are being taken to address the issue.
Mr Speaker
We now move to topical questions. Before I call Mr McGrath, I note that a question for urgent oral answer to the Minister of Health on Nexus NI has been accepted. No Member should raise that issue before the question for urgent oral answer is asked.