CervicalCheck official gave PAC ‘inaccurate’ information during probe
A SENIOR CervicalCheck official gave “inaccurate” information to the Dáil’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) during its probe of the cancer scandal.
A dispute arose over evidence that John Gleeson, the programme manager of the screening service, gave to the PAC last month. Mr Gleeson had indicated that in or around the time of the Vicky Phelan High Court case, nobody at CervicalCheck told the State Claims Agency (SCA) that all of the women subject to the audit of smear test results had been informed of the matter.
This was disputed by the SCA which represents the State in medical negligence cases.
SCA director Ciarán Breen wrote to the PAC saying that “Mr Gleeson’s assertion does not accord with the facts”.
Mr Breen said that during a conference call on April 20 a senior person in CervicalCheck – later identified as Mr Gleeson – said that all the women were informed “or assumed” to have been informed by their treating doctors. Now interim HSE director general John Connaghan has written to the PAC saying that HSE officials have since met with the SCA to clarify the “apparent differences” surrounding the phone call.
Contents of the letter were read out by PAC chairman Seán Fleming. The letter outlined how the issue of the women who were subject of the audit being informed did arise as a “brief discussion issue” during the phone call. The letter reads: “While Mr Gleeson cannot recollect the specifics of the conference call... we clarified [to the SCA] Mr Gleeson’s understanding was consistent with the record of the call.
“Mr Gleeson’s understanding of the communication with the women was that at the time he assumed the women had been informed by the treating physicians. We now know this was not the case. Hence the HSE and the State Claims Agency are satisfied as to the apparent differences around the understanding of the communications with the women has now been resolved.”
Mr Fleming said the issue was a problem for the PAC, adding: “We have to have... an absolute assurance that evidence given here is correct.”
Labour TD Alan Kelly said that “without prejudice” Mr Gleeson’s evidence was “inaccurate”. But he questioned how the PAC could have confidence in the HSE management team.
The SCA and senior HSE officials are now to be hauled back before the PAC later this month to face questions on the issue.