5 November 2025
SDLP Opposition Health Spokesperson Colin McGrath MLA has warned yet another cervical screening review will delay justice.
He was speaking after Health Minister Mike Nesbitt published a review of cervical screening within the Southern Health Trust.
South Down MLA Colin McGrath said:
“My thoughts and prayers are with the families of Erin Harbinson and Lynsey Courtney who tragically lost their lives as a result of this scandal. I’m also thinking of all those affected and the worry that they and their families were put through due to these failings. I pay tribute to the work of the Ladies with Letters campaign group who have worked endlessly on behalf of those affected.
“While the publication of these reports and the Health Minister’s engagement with affected families are positive steps, the decision to initiate yet another review falls far short of what’s needed. Every additional review simply delays justice for the women who were failed and for the families who continue to live with the consequences.
“The Minister has highlighted a series of flaws from those that were delivering cervical screenings and the management tasked with oversight and regulatory work. These errors resulted in the deaths of two women and there must be a robust public inquiry to ensure this never happens again and, most importantly, to deliver justice.
“It has now been more than two years since the Royal College of Pathologists first identified serious failings in the Southern Trust’s cytology service. I ask - what is holding the Minister back from granting a full public inquiry into this scandal.
“These women and their families deserve to know exactly what went wrong, who was responsible, and how it was allowed to happen. Only a full public inquiry, held in public and independent of the department, can deliver that clarity and restore confidence in the cervical screening programme.”