Mr. Damien McCallion:

I think the Deputy has taken it right back to the root of open disclosure in the context of a screening programme and what has been described. A framework is needed. I suspect that is one of the reasons it has taken several years to get to a point where we can roll out open disclosure in the screening programme. It is different to adopt it for an individual service or facility or in the practice of a professional individual. When we talk about a framework, we are talking about supports to women, training of the professionals involved and the medical legal framework. A range of things need to be put in place. Screening is different because we are doing a review across a range of people. We know there is an accepted normal error rate. We need not call it that – there is different language for it.

The points being made do not only apply to BreastCheck but to all screening programmes. There is some useful learning from the UK or England, where they have done this. Let us bear in mind that England is the only country in Europe that has put this in place for breast screening. I appreciate that people can refer to the difference between 2013 and what is happening today. The way the screening programme is rolled out is important. It should be a model that is effective for patients and cost-effective for the service.