Dr Gabriel Scally has said Ireland's CervicalCheck system was 'doomed to fail at some point', in his report published this afternoon.

Dr Sally’s scoping inquiry into the CervicalCheck errors has made fifty recommendations to the Minister for Health to renew and strengthen the screening service.

Dr Scally heard from women and families affected as part of the inquiry and referred to the ‘extraordinary determination of Vicky Phelan’ in her refusal to be silenced to expose the scandal.

Dr Scally’s review identified major disclosure issues in the CervicalCheck crisis. He said: “The current policy and practice in relation to open disclosure is deeply contradictory and unsatisfactory. In essence, there is no compelling requirement on clinicians to disclose. It is left up to their personal and professional judgement.”

209 women were identified as subjects of the CervicalCheck audit, where their smear test could have provided a different result. The report refers to patient’s accounts of ‘extremely stressful and sometimes highly traumatic’ appointments when they were eventually informed of results.

Dr Scally said he was satisfied with the quality management processes in the laboratories carrying out CervicalCheck screening tests and concluded that the laboratories should be allowed to continue their work.

The report goes against the government’s calls for a Commission of Investigation but instead advises the Department of Health to ensure the women affected and the relatives of the deceased are given support and to implement the recommendations of the Scoping Inquiry.

Minister for Health Simon Harris said he welcomes the Report and is committed to implementing the 50 recommendations.

Read the full Scally Report here: https://health.gov.ie/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Scoping-Inquiry-into-CervicalCheck-Final-Report.pdf