Cervical Check was ‘aware of data deficit’

CervicalCheck has been aware for years there were issues with transfer of data from the National Cancer Registry (NCR) — a situation that led to a serious underestimation of the number of women caught up in the cervical cancer screening scandal.

HSE boss Tony O’Brien told the Oireachtas health committee yesterday it was “not the minister’s fault” that, a week after the scandal broke, Health Minister Simon Harris had to come back to the Dáil with substantially different figures on the number of women diagnosed with cancer since 2008.

“The issue here was that the information given was that the audit related to the totality of cases when it didn’t. The minister was briefed incorrectly and it’s a very serious issue and it’s not the minister’s fault,” Mr O’Brien said.