HSE chief should fall on his sword for this

SUCH is the rapidly evolving nature of the CervicalCheck scandal that it has been difficult to keep up at times.

Only a week has passed since it appeared that one woman whose smear test results were misread was later diagnosed with terminal cancer. It was subsequently revealed that there were multiple instances of results being incorrectly analysed.

Now it emerges that 208 patients were affected, of whom 17 have since died. The vast majority of women involved were never even informed of the test blunders.

Although scientists would argue that the rate of misreading is very low, the fact that up to 20 patients are wrongly given the allclear each year will sound pretty horrifying to the average layman. But what is most troubling of all in this particular case is that so much was covered up for so long.

The initial response by the Government has been relatively swift. It is of the utmost importance, though, that there is a full inquiry to find out who was responsible for the cover-up, as well as establishing whether the smear test regime is fit for purpose.

There must also be a compensation scheme set up without any unnecessary delay. Given what Vicky Phelan was put through, it would be unthinkable to see more than 200 other families dragged through the courts.

Meanwhile, the spotlight in this controversy is now shining directly on HSE director general Tony O’Brien. Contrary to what Mr O’Brien says, Simon Harris was absolutely right to come out and express his lack of confidence in the management of the CervicalCheck service last week.

Not only did Mr Harris have every reason to articulate his doubts, he was also putting into words what practically everyone in the country was thinking. Few would be willing to defend CervicalCheck clinical director Dr Gráinne Flannelly’s position. But there are also serious questions surrounding Mr O’Brien himself.

Even if he had no knowledge of the coverup, there are troubling issues that he needs to address. Yesterday Dr David Gibbons – a former member of the National Cervical Screening Programme team – insisted that he personally warned Mr O’Brien against outsourcing the analysis of smear test results to the US.

But the bottom line is, of course, that this entire scandal happened in an organisation that was being run by Mr O’Brien and where it can only be assumed that the culture was at least partly set by him.

There had already been tensions between Mr O’Brien and Minister Harris over funding, as well as the future direction of the health service. Yesterday’s remarks by the HSE chief suggest that he has now fallen out badly with the man who is ultimately his boss.

It has previously been announced that Tony O’Brien will be stepping down from his role over the summer. Given what has emerged over recent days, it might be in everyone’s best interest if his retirement date was brought forward to sometime this week.

This is clearly what Vicky Phelan wants – and, frankly, it is difficult at this stage to disagree with her. Quite apart from it being the right course of action, it would also be a positive step in trying to put this sorry saga behind us.