‘HSE playing pass the parcel on smear tests’
Victim blasts lack of accountability at top
HEALTH chiefs have been accused of “passing the parcel” in the Cervicalcheck scandal by one of the 209 misdiagnosed women.
Margaret Murray was backed by a group of female independent councillors in a protest outside the Dail yesterday.
As the Public Accounts grilled Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan, acting HSE chief John Connaghan and Secretary General at the Department of Health Jim Breslin, outside the gates, Ms Murray slammed the Government.
The victim, from Duleek, Co Meath, said it was unacceptable Patricia Connolly in Sligo yesterday there had not been adequate accountability for the scandal at the upper echelons in the HSE and Department of Health.
She added: “I was misdiagnosed in 2012. I had an operation the following year and have been going for my smears since and they still can’t tell me whether they’re clear or not.
“I was in the 209 bracket and I honestly think and honestly swear that there are more than 209 in the same situation as me – this is the tip of the iceberg.”
Ms Murray said she does not trust the accuracy of the programme, adding: “They offered me a smear, but I don’t know where the smear is going, so I’m not going to accept the offer.
“None of them seem to be able to answer the questions, they’re just passing the parcel, shilly-dallying from one to the other.”
Councillor Sharon Keogan, also from Duleek, told the Irish Mirror the group she is with represents women all over the country. She said: “We are here to seek accountability and transparency for the personal medical information that was wilfully and purposely withheld. “As independent women councillors representing thousands of women across the country, we ask that women have a health screening service – be it cervical, breast or bowel – that we can trust.”
Cervicalcheck whistleblower Vicky Phelan has accused health officials of drip-feeding inforscreening mation about the controversy to “water down the effect of a cover-up”.
Ms Phelan, 43, from Co Limerick, is one of the women who was not informed that her smear test results had been wrongly interpreted.
She tweeted: “This has been the gameplan since the Cervicalcheck scandal broke.”
Meanwhile, the Oireachtas committee looking into the issue adjourned for an hour before its planned sitting to review new documents from the HSE and the Department of Health.
TDS who were due to quiz officials hit out at their arrival.