Around 17,500 patients in the Southern Health Trust in Northern Ireland are set to have their previous cervical smear tests rechecked as part of a major review of cervical screening dating back to 2008.
Some of these women will be recalled to have new smear tests carried out. The review comes in the wake of a critical report commissioned by the Royal College of Pathologists, which found issues with the cervical screening process in the region.
The review is expected to take at least six months to complete. Many women affected by the review have expressed anger, frustration, and fear for their future.