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Vast majority (94%) consent to take part in delayed smear test review

Figures show 1,300 letters were sent to women asking them to consent to be included in the review by RCOG.

OVER 1,300 LETTERS have been sent to women asking them to consent to be included in the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) review of 3,000 smear tests following the CervicalCheck scandal.

Of those letters issued, approximately 330 consent forms are reported to have been returned up to end of last week, with 94% of women who have responded agreeing to take part in the review.

Following the fallout of the CervicalCheck controversy, Health Minister Simon Harris said every woman who had a cervical cancer diagnosis in Ireland since screenings began in 2008 will have their smear tests reviewed.

The independent review is to be carried out by a team of cytologists from the UK’s Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in London. 

Letters to women 

TheJournal.ie can confirm that over 1,300 letters have been issued, with the HSE reporting that it expects the vast majority of remaining letters to be either completed or issued by end of this week, excluding those involving next-of-kin.

It is understood the Department of Health is engaging with the HSE to ensure remaining letters are issued as quickly as possible.

The aim of the review is to examine whether misread slides impacted on women’s treatment, prognosis and outcome. 

At the beginning of the summer, the minister promised the review would be concluded by the end of May and any woman impacted by it would be contacted in due course. 

However, reports later emerged of a significant delay in getting the review started, due to the issue of consent being needed, it is understood. 

The HSE is understood to be making “every effort to ensure clear information is provided” to the women impacted, with the agency open to addressing any queries, issues or concerns raised by women about the review or the consent process.

The government is continuing “to support and facilitate RCOG and the HSE in progressing this review as expeditiously as possible, and to do so in a way that ensures quality, comprehensiveness and integrity of the results”.

Delay in review getting started 

In July, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said he was “very dissatisfied” that the review of around 3,000 smear tests had not started.

“We had thought back in May that this was a job that could be done more quickly, but we’re obviously going to do everything we can to make sure that work is done as quickly as possible,” he said. 

The Scally report, which was published last month, found significant failures in the governance structures of the screening programme. 

The review’s author, Dr Gabriel Scally, said the biggest failure he identified in his four month review was the non-disclosure of information from CervicalCheck audits to patients.

In his review, Scally heard testimonies from women affected by the controversy, but he did not examine the individual medical evidence (the smear tests) in each individual case. 

The RCOG review, which is tasked with examining the slides of some 3,000 women, was to be completed in advance of the Scally review. 

It is believed the results of the RCOG review will not be known until 2019. 

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    Mute Andrew Matheson
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    Jan 19th 2013, 1:58 PM

    Idiots going up to play in the snow????

    316
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    Mute Abi Dennis
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    Jan 19th 2013, 3:12 PM

    How do you know they werent driving home?

    82
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    Mute Adrian Shanahan
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    Jan 19th 2013, 3:56 PM

    Abi, as an experienced mountaineer and someone who works in the mountains only a few hundred meters from where the above photo was taken I can assure you that no one local would dare try cross the gap unless in a very specialised 4*4.

    It happens evey time there is snow on the gap people who are in experienced in driving in snow / un used to mountain roads try drive up to see how far they can go and very often get stuck resulting in calling out the likes of DWMR to come help them.

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    Mute John Barnes
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    Jan 19th 2013, 5:00 PM

    Darwin awards anyone?

    56
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    Mute John Hayes
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    Jan 20th 2013, 9:10 AM

    Call out at 3am ???? Still dogging at the weekends sir ?

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    Mute Marie-Jo Thauvin
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    Jan 21st 2013, 11:48 AM

    If they had been driving home they would have chosen one of the following options: 4X4, winters tyres, a more circuitous but more driveable route.

    1
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    Mute Stray Mutt
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    Jan 19th 2013, 3:01 PM

    Headline should more appropriately read: A number of cityslickers have ventured into the mountains with predictable consequences….

    255
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    Mute Abi Dennis
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    Jan 19th 2013, 3:13 PM

    How do you know they dont live in the area and werent driving home?

    36
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    Mute Chris K
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    Jan 19th 2013, 3:28 PM

    If they live there they should have winter tyres as this happens every year, plonkers

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    Mute Irish Cottage Rental
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    Jan 19th 2013, 1:57 PM

    Lovely to look at but not so nice if you get stuck!

    165
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    Mute John O'Neill
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    Jan 19th 2013, 2:01 PM

    Look out lads…There’s a wolf behind ya!!

    178
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    Mute Caitriona Riffeser
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    Jan 19th 2013, 2:18 PM

    Maybe they should consider the proper winter tyres before driving in snow….

    132
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    Mute David Conroy
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    Jan 19th 2013, 4:13 PM

    Maybe the idiots would consider paying for the time of the volunteers !

    165
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    Mute Méalainí Drake
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    Jan 19th 2013, 4:18 PM

    They should be made pay half at least… if not all of the expenses. Time we started holding idiots responsible.

    113
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    Mute Mike Clinton
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    Jan 19th 2013, 2:55 PM

    I love seeing folk heading off in the 4×4′s and no formal training..
    A landy with a lift kit,mudzilla’s,winch and a snorkle being towed out of a ditch with a pajero..Class.

    103
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    Mute Ruairi O' Sullivan
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    Jan 19th 2013, 3:55 PM

    Something to do with 90% of them being driven from foxrock to Dundrum and back………..and that’s it!

    123
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    Mute Declan Noonan
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    Jan 19th 2013, 2:48 PM

    Memories of cycling my bike with the mates up to glencree and Sally gap in the wintertime with snow on the ground. Over 30 years ago now.

    95
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    Mute Joan Featherstone
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    Jan 19th 2013, 3:08 PM

    Well done Wicklow Mountain Rescue. Declan I remember going tobogganing up there in my youth…what fun we had never felt the cold, oh the memories!

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    Mute Christine Downey
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    Jan 19th 2013, 4:13 PM

    Fair play to the Rescue Teams, but I’d leave them there till it thaws!

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    Mute harpurlee
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    Jan 19th 2013, 9:00 PM

    Anybody driving up there when they know the conditions and been warned to stay away and the road closed deserve all they get, should be made pay the expenses of the mountain rescue team.

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    Mute Tadhg Concannon
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    Jan 19th 2013, 6:16 PM

    Was up there in a land rover Defender earlier. Properly kited out. Also have trained to drive a 4×4 in the snow. Loads of fun. However Roads are feet deep in snow. Little or no room to turn around if it gets difficult. Would suggest if people don’t have the correct equipment to stay away. There is a fine line between fun and getting stuck. If you are going to play at least put on your lights. Easier to see a person coming and find a suitable passing spot.

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    Mute james doyle
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    Jan 19th 2013, 4:16 PM

    Some brave men going up playing around Sally’s gap!!!!

    36
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    Mute SL
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    Jan 20th 2013, 1:27 AM

    Is that a silver BMW in the middle of the first photo. Seriously!? Front engined rear wheel drive. Face palm.

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    Mute Gemma Donnelly
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    Jan 20th 2013, 9:31 AM

    was thinking the same a rear wheel drive in the snow lol good luck with that one

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    Mute Fionntan Ó Caiside
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    Feb 25th 2013, 9:06 AM

    the driven wheels or engine position of the vehicle are not the issue here, it’s down to the type of tyres fitted to the car, if you have standard road tyres on then you are going nowhere fast, winter tyres help to a certain extent, but the ability of the driver is the key here, basically if you don’t have experience of driving in these conditions or on mud or loose surfaces, then stay the f*** away, at home where its warm and safe, anyway i cant see what would bring people up to the gap, there’s nothing there anyway.

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    Mute Damocles
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    Jan 19th 2013, 6:48 PM

    It’s bad enough driving up there in good weather.

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    Mute Maura Lawless
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    Jan 19th 2013, 10:08 PM

    If these people are stupid enough to try driving around the mountains in the snow and get stuck..let them pay to be rescued and maybe everyone else would learn a lesson and get BLOODY SNOW TIRES

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    Mute Siobhan Hayes
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    Jan 19th 2013, 10:51 PM

    Fair play to the rescue teams, if people listened to the forecast these good people wouldn’t have to go out in such bad weather !!!

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    Mute Shane Cafferty
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    Jan 19th 2013, 5:29 PM

    Wow massive news! Did they have to eat each other to stay “Alive”? Maybe they’ll write a book or do a motion picture in years to come…..

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    Mute Alangb
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    Jan 19th 2013, 7:06 PM

    I dont often do this ….. NOT …… but it has to be said. I would be the first person to challenge this sort of really stupid behavior of people driving out in these conditions when it is unnecessary and I totally agree local people would know better. Believe it or not there is something such as personal responsibility that still exists in this country, although to view this behavior you wouldn’t think so.

    However, the really moronic behavior is the failure of the local authorities and Gardai to block road access until the roads become clear again. Putting up a small sign saying ‘road closed’ is an insult to human intelligence especially those who may not be able to read. Simple block the road until it is OK to pass again.

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    Mute Olive Whyte
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    Jan 19th 2013, 9:02 PM

    The Gardai are not responsible for stupid people, if they can’t read they can certainly see the roads are not safe ahead. What a stupid comment.

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    Mute Tadhg Concannon
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    Jan 19th 2013, 8:14 PM

    Gardai should not close the road
    People should be allowed to make their own decision

    People should have the right to learn

    17
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    Mute Caroline O Brien
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    Jan 20th 2013, 12:17 PM

    why are people so thick they were told it was going to snow arseholes wasting peoples time and money

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    Mute Kevin O'connor
    Favourite Kevin O'connor
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    Jan 20th 2013, 5:46 PM

    Stupid people should have to pay for the rescue. If it was a standard 500 Euro per car, people might think before going up there. With regard to the road closed sign, most people ignore them, because the Council or the Gardai, forget to take them down when the road is reopened. There are still signs up all over the country about roads that were flooded a month ago. No-one bothered to take them down.

    6
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