I was one of the 400 people called back
LUCINDA KELLY, from Hill Street, in Wexford, was one of the 400 people called back for a second colonoscopy when it became apparent that mistakes had been made in the way a doctor at Wexford General Hospital had been carrying out the invasive procedures.
While she was given the all-clear, the mother-of-five has nagging doubts about the follow-up procedure and whether she may get a call further down the line.
‘It’s not a pleasant procedure and there’s always something in the back of my head saying “oh my God, am I clear... should I go again”. I keep telling myself that if there’s nothing wrong after three years I should be all right, but what happens shakes your confidence (in the medical establishment) and you never know.
‘It should never have happened... a member of staff complained about what was happening and no notice was taken. It was all to do with the pecking order. It’s disgraceful that people’s lives should be put at risk because no one was listened to,’ said Lucinda.
‘ The problem is that if people see something not being done properly and no action is taken, and no one is listening, they may stop reporting things. They will say it’s not worthwhile if no one is listening to me,’ she told this newspaper.
‘If a person sees a wrong-doing at work they should be listened to. These people are human, they still make mistakes. But it is a disgrace that things like this should happen. With all our technology and training, it’s a disgrace that these screw-ups are still being made.’
‘I’m a mother of five, with seven grandchildren, and all the other people who were tested would have had their own families. Imagine how they feel because a mistake like this was made.’