Cllr Peacock says health trust must "build the confidence of women in the cervical screening programme”
Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council has queried the Western Health and Social Care Trust’s efforts to improve cervical cancer screening confidence.
At a full council meeting on October 1, members received a deputation by the Trust, which serves Causeway Coast and Glens areas such as Limavady and Benbradagh.
In reference to an ongoing major review of cervical screening in some areas of Northern Ireland, in which about 17,500 women will have their smear tests re-checked dating back to 2008, Sinn Féin Councillor Leanne Peacock said it was important for members to ask Trusts about plans to “build the confidence of women in the cervical screening programme”.
She said: “As someone who has been very affected by cervical cancer in my own family, I would like to know what all of Trusts are doing to build the confidence of women in attending their screening appointments, but also the confidence that their results are accurate and they can expect timely responses.”
Director of Planning, Performance & Corporate Services, Teresa Molloy, said that, in terms of concern around screening programme, the Trust had taken “particular care to brief our public and elected representatives in our area”.
She concluded: “I’m very happy to provide some more detail on the screening programme and the particular steps that we’ve taken, but I can say that we have been questioned on this by other councils and our operational director has met with other councils in relation to it.
“So if [councillor Peacock] is content, I’d be happy to get some specific information for her or for council to share.”