Hiqa to Review Ireland's Health Screening Services Post-CervicalCheck Controversy
Hiqa will review Ireland's health screening services, including CervicalCheck, following a 2018 controversy. The review ensures improvements are sustained across all programs, providing public assurance. It aims to build strong foundations for future service growth and early disease detection.
The Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) announced a review of the Health Service Executive’s (HSE) governance of Ireland’s population-based health screening services. This follows the 2018 CervicalCheck controversy, where women with cervical cancer were not informed of audits on their previous smear tests, which sometimes differed from original results and potentially affected treatment outcomes.
The review aims to provide independent assurance that necessary improvements have been made and sustained across all operational programs, including BreastCheck, CervicalCheck, BowelScreen, Diabetic RetinaScreen, and national newborn screening programs. Hiqa will conduct interviews with key personnel, review documentation, and perform targeted risk-based inspections.
Sean Egan, Hiqa’s director of healthcare regulation, emphasized the importance of screening for early detection and treatment of various conditions. He stated the review will ensure future growth in screening services is built on strong foundations, supporting continuous improvement and providing public assurance. Recommendations will be made for any identified areas needing improvement.