The family of a third woman in Northern Ireland known to die after an incorrect cervical screening have spoken for the first time of their loss.
Louise-Corbett Gibbons (24) from Co Down died in June 2008, shortly after she had married her husband Neville.
With a new home in Rathfriland and dreams of a career in social work, their time together was tragically cut short after her diagnosis.
On Tuesday, her family joined with campaigners affected by the Southern Trust’s cervical screening scandal to demand a full public inquiry.
Major problems with the Trust’s screening programme over 13 years were identified in 2023, with around 17,500 women receiving letters to say their smear tests needed to be reviewed.
Eight of these women would develop cervical cancer, leading to the deaths of Lynsey Courtney (30) from Portadown in 2018 and Erin Harbinson (44) from Tandragee in 2024.
Another 11 women needed pre-cancerous treatment.
In November, three separate reports addressing the failings were published but the families say they do not go far enough.
The campaigners also say the issues were not limited to the Southern Trust, with Ms Corbett-Gibbon’s incorrect screening received via the Belfast Trust.
Louise Corbett -Gibbons died in 2008 shortly after getting married.
PICTURE: COLM LENAGHAN
Speaking to The Irish News, Mr Gibbons and his late wife’s aunt Joy Fairley explained why the inquiry mattered.
“Louise lost her mummy from a very early age then went to live with her Aunty Joy,” Mr Gibbons said.
“We were together for eight years and just brought a brand new house. We had planned our marriage for Mexico,” then she was diagnosed.
“She had all the treatment, but unfortunately I got a call on my post run just to say ‘can you come home,’ and I knew was something was up.
“When I went home she said: ‘I’ve a month left to live’.”
The couple married just a week later, with Louise passing away shortly after that.
Investigating her case, Mr Gibbons discovered his wife’s smear test in June 2007 was “misread”.
Husband Neville Gibbons at Stormont. PICTURE: COLM LENAGHAN
On learning of the mistake, he said: “At the time it was a seven year case (to get answers). We always knew because Louise knew herself that there was something not right.
“She had said to her Aunty Joy ‘they’ve done something wrong’. When you found out that the probability was that she would have passed away anyway, I don’t really agree with that…it’s been difficult.”
Asked why a public inquiry was important, Ms Fairley said: “It would mean a lot because there’s so many girls out there that this could happen to again.
“I have four granddaughters now coming up and I would like to think that times have changed for those wee girls and there could be something more done about this.”
She said another loss was the impact her niece could have made for others.
“Louise, education was sometimes a bit difficult but she pushed and pushed herself and got herself through uni,” she said.
“She came out as a social worker, and I think if Louise had been here today she would have made an awful difference just to a lot of children from difficult backgrounds.
“That was something she was happy to do because of her own background, losing her mum so young.
“I just feel she could have related to a lot of children in that way.”
With politicians from Sinn Féin, the DUP, SDLP and Alliance showing their support on Tuesday, Mr Gibbons said: “We need the support of everybody because there’s 17,500 girls that have been neglected basically through misread smears.
“It’s about making awareness for any other girls, it’s just very important.”
FROM L-R Heather Thompson, Tracey Bell and Solicitor Enda McGarrity speak to the media as Ladies with Letters campaign group meet with MLAs at Stormont.
PICTURE: COLM LENAGHAN
Speaking earlier, Tracey Bell from the Ladies with Letters group said that three years after 17,500 women received letters to say their cervical screening may be incorrect, “too many questions remain unanswered”.
Due to meet with the new Health Minister Robbie Butler next month, she said the calls for an inquiry were not “about blame or punishment” but transparency.
Representing the group, solicitor Enda McGarrity added that many of the reports issued lacked powers to compel witnesses or evidence.
“The concerns about the adequacy of what has been done to date are fairly plain.”
He said the other concern was that more cases such as Louise Corbett-Gibbons were still being discovered.
“We’ve only scratched the surface here of what the issues were, what we need to know is why and how we can be reassured that won’t recur in the future.”
Ladies with Letters campaign group meet MLAs at Stormont. PICTURE: COLM LENAGHAN
A Department of Health spokesperson said there was “no evidence” that the issues identified in the Southern Trust in relation to cervical screening had been replicated elsewhere in Northern Ireland.
They added that they were not aware of the details surrounding Ms Corbett-Gibbins’ death, but that the Health Minister Robbie Butler would be meeting with the Ladies with Letters in the coming weeks.
On the calls for a public inquiry, they said the issue had been “fully considered” in the independent review by Sir Frank Atherton who had been the former Chief Medical Officer for Wales.
While this identified serious management, governance and quality assurance failings in parts of the NI Cervical Screening Programme, it also said it was “highly unlikely” a public inquiry would “provide significant additional clarity.”