VICKY PHELAN STATEMENT
SPEAKING outside court yesterday, following the settlement, Vicky Phelan said: ‘I just have a few “thank you”s to say first… To my legal team, first and foremost to Cian and Siobhán, of Cian O’Carroll solicitors. Thank you for believing in me, for your empathy, and thank you for making this whole experience go as quickly and smoothly as it has. You are a credit to your profession, and Jim and I can’t thank you enough.
To my senior counsel and junior counsel, to Judge Kevin Cross who heard my case and who at all times was conscious that I am a terminally ill woman who is at the centre of this case, and who pushed for a settlement to be reached. Particular mention must go to Professor [John] Shepherd, my legal team’s gynaecological expert, who took the stand yesterday. I didn’t have the pleasure of meeting Professor Shepherd, but I will be forever grateful to him for exposing the shortcomings and failures of CervicalCheck and the HSE to inform me of my misdiagnosis, and to hide this information for three years until I became terminally ill. Professor Shepherd’s evidence forced the hand of the defendants yesterday, which led to my settlement late yesterday evening. To my family, my friends and my supporters who supported my decision to take this case at a time when I really should have been concentrating on my health, I would not have been able to take this case without you. There are no winners here today. I am terminally ill and there is no cure for my cancer. My settlement will mostly be spent on buying me time, and on paying for clinical trials to keep me alive, and allow me to spend more time with my children. If I die, and I truly hope that won’t be the case, the money will provide for my family. The women of Ireland can no longer put their trust in the CervicalCheck programme. Mistakes can and do happen. But the conduct of the HSE and CervicalCheck in my case, and in the case of at least ten other women we know about, is unforgiveable.
They didn’t admit any liability, but they are liable. To know for almost three years that a mistake had been made and that I was misdiagnosed is bad enough, but to keep that information from me until I became terminally ill, and to drag me through the courts to fight for my right to the truth, is an appalling breach of trust, and I truly hope that some good will come of this case, and there will be an investigation into the CervicalCheck programme as a result of this. Thank you.