DCU President To Undertake Rapid Review Of CervicalCheck Controversy

The President of Dublin City University, Brian Mac Craith, has been appinted to undertake a rapid review into the latest CervicalCheck controversy.

It's being conducted after it emerged around 800 women had not received their test results due to a technical glitch at a US lab.

HSE CEO Paul Reid says he expects it to be completed by August 2nd.

‘I have asked Professor Brian MacCraith, to act as independent external chairperson for this review' @paulreiddublin has commissioned an immediate rapid review of an incident within CervicalCheck https://t.co/ndoXtVDGi9 pic.twitter.com/2MXTZZKfBh

— HSE Ireland (@HSELive) July 15, 2019

The review will look into why HPV test results were not issued, or were delayed, for some women and their GPs.

It will examine all aspects of the incident, with a particular focus on how these matters were communicated to the women affected.

The HSE has listed the following as the areas to be covered by the Review:

1. To determine the complete chronology of events from the time the IT issues first emerged up to the public reporting of these issues on the 11^th July 2019.
2. To establish the agreed process for the communication of results to women and their GPs, how this was planned and managed and how this process worked in practice.
3. To determine the adequacy of the response put in place once these issues emerged and to determine where and what the learning is for the management and communication processes within and from the Screening Programmes.
4. To determine if the relevant procedures as set out in the HSE’s Incident Management Framework and Integrated Risk Management policy were followed and implemented.
5. To examine the appropriateness of the escalation and if, how and when the communication of the incident within the HSE’s governance structures and between the HSE and the Department of Health, and the relevant Cervical Check committee structures was managed.
6. To provide a report to the HSE’s CEO setting out the facts relating to the incident and to make recommendations for any appropriate further actions and future learning.