CervicalCheck controversy

[eloisesparkle]

Another absolutely disgraceful scandal in Ireland.
I have never forgotten or forgiven Michael Noonan for the way Brigid Mc Cole was dragged through the courts due to the Hep C scandal.
And now Vicky Phelan dragged through the courts because of the failure of CervicalCheck.

Have I misunderstood or was it actually decided Not to inform women that they had got a false negative result from their smear tests ?

If this is true I am just aghast.
That women would be denied the knowledge that they have cancer, possibly terminal.

I despair of this country.

It's absolutely disgraceful. Several people knew for years but didn't tell the women. 208 women affected, 162 still haven't been told but will be told tomorrow. 17 women have died and their next of kins will also be informed.

So cross about this, I'm fucking livid at the treatment of these women. That poor woman that highlighted this, what a brave brave lady.

How could they make a decision to not tell the women???

This is shocking. How can someone make the decision to not pass on the information - how can these people sleep at night?!
Being denied seeing your children growing up, being there to help them, having time after the kids have grown to enjoy retirement and all that comes with it... There is an enormous issue with accountability in the hse.

Apparently this is only the tip of the iceberg, a lot of labs haven't been audited.

It is a national disgrace.
Vicki Phelan sued the American laboratory and the judgement in that case is how this has come to light, I believe. I don't think we would be aware of how badly things have been dealt with if it wasn't for her.

www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/harris-to-come-under-pressure-over-briefing-note-on-phelan-case-1.3480187

To add insult to injury:
www.irishtimes.com/news/health/it-isn-t-a-helpline-it-s-an-answering-machine-women-hit-out-at-hse-cancer-phone-service-1.3480235

And the laboratory in the US is staying silent on the matter:
www.irishtimes.com/news/health/us-firm-at-centre-of-cancer-screening-scandal-refuses-comment-1.3479539

I'm wondering what would trigger a "patient safety incident" :
www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/smear-test-scandal-hse-boss-obrien-under-increasing-pressure-to-resign-or-be-sacked-36862977.html

I'm so glad that others are now venting their anger on another this appalling incident in the Irish Health Service.
I was sad that yesterday only 3 people had posted on the thread - including myself - the OP.

Yet 67 people had discussed the merits and demerits of a travel mug.

I also rarely check the craicnet page. It's a terrible situation, no one would have ever known about it if it wasn't for vicky phelan. Horrifying to think of the trust we place in our health professionals and how it is thrown back at us, yet again.

Also, I don't think hse bosses should resign, I think they should be made accountable for the mess and they should be doing what they can to ensure it never happens again and the women and families affected are given the proper support, etc. Why should they get to slink off and not have to clear up their 'mess' (for want of a better word)

Absolutely disgusting behaviour not telling the patients. Really feel women's lives are an afterthought in Ireland.

Symphisiotomy, hepatitis, abortion (ongoing), now this - has there been any medical scandal in Ireland that doesn't predominantly affect women? Army deafness is the only other one I can think of. Says something about how women are regarded, doesn't it?

There have been around 3000 cases of cervical cancer diagnosed over the last 10 years and only have of those have been audited. Leo stated earlier today that the number of women affected will probably go up, no shit Sherlock.

Tony O'Brien should face criminal charges instead of getting a big pay off to slink back under the rock he crawled out of. He was set to leave this job in the summer before this scandal broke last week.

Honeyrider I agree fully with your comments re the head of the HSE- Tony O' Brien.
When when when will people in Ireland be held accountable for their actions or inactions ?

Also thing the idea of 'a gagging order' is appalling... how many awful things have happened where the victim was 'paid off'??

It's horrific and I'm furious about it. They're currently only reviewing the cases of women who have been diagnosed with cervical cancer. What about the rest of us who received normal results - how can we be sure our results are true?

I absolutely believe that if this was a health issue that only affected men, it would have been handled differently. I feel like a second-class citizen in my own country.

The Broadsheet app has some great pieces at the moment on the Cervical Smear test controversy.
I am sorry I can't do links but they would make any Irish woman be
The links between big health businesses, our health services and our politicians would make you retch.

I've talked to colleagues over the last few days and I've heard a lot of stories about people being misdiagnosed... one lady was misdiagnosed and died from ovarian cancer; another colleague lost her sister a few years ago from breast cancer which was missed at a mammogram ---- frightening to think the cervical cancer screening might be the tip of the iceberg.

The problem with letting this guy pass out his last few weeks/months in the role means that when he retires, he does so with a nice retirement package. Too many people in positions of power have 'retired' on nice cushy retirement packages, with some having golden handshakes built in to them. I don't want this guy who was the person where the buck should have stopped many, many months ago, being able to finish up his job and leave with a cushy pension. Why should he when the citizens he was charged with managing the health of won't have that luxury??

He should be devoting his entire time before retirement to sorting this mess out, not just the large proportion of it that he said he would in a Dail Committee hearing today.

He's a disgrace!

Oh, and I didn't even know there was a discussion about travel mugs. They are important for the safe transportation of hot beverages but this is far more important a discussion than that