Harris messages reveal smear test turmoil

The commotion around a helpline that didn’t work; a distrust of the HSE’s ability to supply reliable data; and a preoccupation with media coverage of the CervicalCheck crisis are themes in a series of revealing texts between the health minister and his most senior adviser (the texts have been obtained through Freedom of Information).

A text also shows Health Minister Simon Harris being put under pressure last April, by the National Association of General Practitioners (NAGP), to allow women to have repeat out-of-cycle smears.