CervicalCheck claims cost State nearly €19m - C&AG report
The Irish State has spent nearly €19 million on legal claims related to the CervicalCheck controversy, which involved failures in disclosing audit results to patients. The Comptroller & Auditor General's report notes that 337 claims have been concluded, with many involving psychological injury and clinical negligence.
Why it matters
Exposes the ongoing financial and social impact of a major healthcare scandal, highlighting issues of state accountability and patient transparency.
The State has paid almost €19 million for claims arising from the HSE CervicalCheck controversy, the Comptroller & Auditor General said in his annual report.
The report from the public spending watchdog says the €18.9 million cost of claims at the end of 2025 includes €6.6 million in damages paid to people who took action against the State.
The controversy started in 2018 when it emerged women diagnosed with cervical cancer had not been told of audits of their previous smear tests which were carried out after their diagnosis.
In many cases the audit results were different from the original smear test result – and this may have led to different treatment routines and outcomes for some of them. Many of the women have since died.
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