Cervical Screening Failures: Women Develop Cancer After Misread Tests
Originally Published 1 year ago — by BBC.com
A review of cervical screening at the Southern Health Trust in Northern Ireland revealed that eight women developed cancer after their smear tests were misread, while 11 others had pre-cancerous changes. The review, prompted by the misdiagnoses of three women, found persistent underperformance by some screeners over 13 years. The Southern Health Trust has apologized, and there are calls for a public inquiry. The trust has since implemented HPV screening and centralized laboratory services to improve the system.