St James’s Hospital apologises to woman over under-reported smear test

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

St James’s Hospital has apologised to a woman after a 2004 cervical smear was under-reported. She was later diagnosed with cervical cancer and underwent a hysterectomy. The woman cannot be named by court order.

The apology was read in the High Court after the case was resolved through mediation. The hospital acknowledged that correct reporting of the smear would likely have led to referral and treatment of pre-cancerous cells, which could have avoided the cancer diagnosis. The judge said the matter had been resolved to the woman’s satisfaction.