Failed by the State
Cervical cancer crisis: a national scandal
Report cites litany of failures Victims criticise whitewash Harris blamed for leaks VICTIMS of the CervicalCheck scandal have been let down by a litany of systematic failures, a damning report has revealed.
The report by Dr Gabriel Scally, which will be published in full today, condemns the HSE’s failure to tell women who developed cancer despite CervicalCheck re-examining their test slides and finding they were given the wrong result.
The Scally Report raises serious concerns about the way CervicalCheck was run, its internal culture and warns of system-wide failings across the health service which impacted on the screening programme. It also points to a lack of understanding of responsibilities by people overseeing the scheme.
The report is highly critical of governance and structures across the screening programme and the HSE.
It is also critical of the “contradictory nature of HSE policy” and its failure to follow patient disclosure rules.
The 170-page report with 50 recommendations is set to stir strong emotions in the 221 victims of the scandal and the grieving relatives of those who died. But it fails to name any individuals involved in the scandal.
However, the report does recommend the HSE can continue to outsource the testing of cervical smears to US and Irish laboratories.
The report was at the centre of controversy yesterday after the leaking of one of Dr Scally’s views that a full inquiry may not be needed. Victims want a full public investigation.
Health Minister Simon Harris was widely accused of leaking the report but strongly denied responsibility.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said he was “disgusted” people who were ill or bereaved heard about the report this way. Vicky Phelan, the terminally ill Limerick mother-of-two who revealed the scandal, spoke of her distress and called the situation a “whitewash”.
Stephen Teap, whose wife Irene died after wrong test results, said he was “heartbroken” by the disrespect.
As the Government grappled with its latest mishandling, both Vicky Phelan and Stephen Teap, along with cancer survivor Lorraine Walsh, received a private viewing of the report in Limerick.
They are understood to have spent several hours looking through the report with Dr Scally.
They declined to give their views last night on its findings but will give an opinion today when it is published.
Dr Scally was asked to do a scoping report in May and he was due to have it completed in weeks.
But a lack of documents from the HSE delayed his investigation and he was continuing to receive some of the 12,000 records he eventually received in recent weeks.
The report is non-statutory and cannot point the finger of blame at any individual.
However, it makes clear that the image put forward by CervicalCheck which was set up in 2008 to reduce the 90 deaths from cervical cancer annually was also beset by serious problems.
Since it was set up CervicalCheck has detected more than 50,000 high grade pre-cancerous changes in women, reducing their risk of cervical cancer by 90pc.
Dr Scally, who visited the Quest laboratory used by CervicalCheck in New Jersey, as well as the Medlab and Coombe hospital labs in Dublin, said in as much as he could ascertain, the current screening arrangements could continue.
It is understood there is less information about the CPL laboratory in Texas which was used by CervicalCheck in its early years of operation.
Emma Mhic Mhathúna, the mother-of-five who has advanced cervical cancer and is currently undergoing treatment in hospital, said she “couldn’t care less” about the leaked Scally report as she knew it would not hold those responsible for the CervicalCheck scandal to account.
Ms Mhic Mhathúna who lives in Ballydavid in Dingle, Co Kerry, was informed in late July that her cancer had spread to her brain and was terminal.
She was awarded €7.5m after her High Court action taken against the HSE and US laboratory Quest Diagnostics in June.
In a Facebook post she said: “Scally leak: couldn’t care less.
“Why! Knew it would amount to no accountability.
“My focus is on the Junior Cert results (one of her children sat the State exams). I haven’t seen my children in eight days...still in hospital.
“There will come a day in Ireland where people just get fed up and stone Leinster House. There’s a few million of us...,” she wrote.
However, she has vowed to give a full and robust reaction when the report is fully published today.
She said her cancer diagnosis was like “an intruder has come into my home that I don’t want and it’s taking me away from my children – well, it’s trying to – so I’m fighting tooth and nail”.
Mr Harris said yesterday it was his intention to go ahead with a full Commission of Investigation.
The Scally report suggests there may be other ways to inquire further into the issues.
Dr Scally is expected to do more work in the investigation.
Meanwhile, talks are continuing with the labs to extend their contracts of service beyond October.
However, two of the labs want the State to take over compensation claims.