Thread by @michellehtweet

Dr Scally has arrived to give reporters a briefing on his review #CervicalCheck

Scally says this review came about due to the "extraordinary determination of Vicky Phelan not to be silenced". Says he found issues with every area he looked at, describing it as "a whole system failure".

Dr Scally says he found no evidence of a conspiracy or cover-up, he had no issues interviewing the people he wanted to interview and he was given access to all of the documents he required #CervicalCheck

He said the disclosure protocol was "deeply contradictory" and the decision was left up to the personal and professional judgement of clinicians. #CervicalCheck

There are serious gaps in the governance structure of the screening programme, he says.

It emerged during this scoping inquiry that a lab in Texas, used by Ireland until 2013, had distributed slides from Ireland to other labs in Texas, Hawaii, Florida and Nevada to carry out at least part of the screening process.

However Dr Scally says he sees "no reason" why the contracts with current providers (that Texas lab isn't one anymore) can't continue until a new testing programme is in place here.

Scally: "I have made 50 far reaching recommendations I believe will change the face of cancer screening in this country, and particularly cervical cancer screening, but will go well beyond that." #CervicalCheck

When asked about the biggest failure he identified, Scally says it has to be the non-disclosure to women which he described as "a terrible episode that caused enormous damage". He said wider damage has been done to the relationship between doctors and patients #CervicalCheck

Dr Scally says members of the medical profession need to sit down and hear from impacted women about how they've been treated. #CervicalCheck

"I think someone should say sorry who was actively involved in what went wrong," Dr Scally said. He means doctors who failed to disclose - says a letter from the head of the HSE apologising won't mean anything.

"I can honestly say I dont think there's anyone currently in a post that should be removed as a matter of urgency from it ," Dr Scally says but adds the whole system needs to be reformed. #CervicalCheck

Dr Scally mentions family members of one deceased woman who said the consultant in their disclosure meetings spoke "several times about the late woman’s smoking habit and also told them that nuns don’t get cervical cancer". He said "It's verging on misogyny". #CervicalCheck

Lorraine Walsh says the report contains content that is "very distressing and very emotional".#CervicalCheck

Stephen Teap says doctors "need to acknowledge the pain that was inflicted on many of the women" and apologise. Lorraine Walsh: "We put our lives in the consultants’ hands - in my own case I have lived to tell the tale but also I have been let down badly by not being told."

Stephen and Lorraine have both spoken of the importance now of implementing the recommendations - this has to be the priority. #CervicalCheck