[ad_1]
By Elaine Loughlin, Fiachra Ó Cionnaith and Catherine Shanahan
Cancer departments will be instructed to change their use of the labs in the short and long term and to review the work of other screening services as part of the Scally report on the testing scandal. cancer of the cervix of the uterus.
High-level sources confirmed that the recommendations would be included in the 200-page report, along with other far-reaching reforms of the system's governance structures, and urged that anyone affected by future errors be immediately informed of what is happening. happened.
Sources said the document will focus on the key changes needed to protect women.
Although the report, which will be submitted to Cabinet tomorrow, will not be released until families affected by what has happened are informed, it is understood that it will make a series of recommendations on:
- The laboratory services used by CervicalCheck
- The need to review other screening services
- Governance issues
- Requests to ensure that anyone affected by problems in the future is immediately informed by an open disclosure process
It is understood that while the government is committed to implementing as many recommendations as possible in the coming months, some may take longer to present than others because of the complexities involved.
The report, prepared by independent expert Gabriel Scally, was sent to the Department of Health last Friday before being reviewed by Attorney General Séamus Woulfe.
Health Minister Simon Harris met with Dr. Scally yesterday to learn about its content and is expected to present it to Cabinet for approval of publication tomorrow.
In addition, three of the most prominent people affected by the scandal of cervical cancer tests will be informed of the content of the Scally report at the same time as the meeting of the Council of Ministers tomorrow. This is Tipperary's wife, Vicky Phelan, whose High Court case revealed the scandal; The Cork man, Stephen Teap, whose wife Irene died of cervical cancer; and Galway's wife, Lorraine Walsh, who received an incorrect smear test result.
Mr Teap said yesterday at the Irish Examiner that he "is delighted that the briefing is taking place".
However, concerns have been raised for practical reasons: not all affected families will be informed of the results before the publication of the document.
Developments have emerged at a time when the HSE said yesterday that the negotiations with the two US laboratories that performed the majority of tests for CervicalCheck are "at a critical juncture".
Contracts for the work done by Quest Diagnostics in New Jersey and Medlab Pathology in Dublin are due to expire next month.
Although repeated calls were made for the contracts not to be extended due to the seriousness of the scandals, it was noted that immediate termination of the agreements could leave the CervicalCheck system in a precarious situation.
It is understood that the laboratories have assessed the financial risk in light of the legal proceedings against them regarding the CervicalCheck controversy and wish the State to guarantee them if they wish to extend their contracts.
Source link
