Clinics ‘inundated’ with smear requests

THE number of private smear test requests has soared in recent weeks, the Irish Mail on Sunday can reveal. Women’s health clinics around the country have been ‘inundated’ with requests for smears since terminally ill Limerick mum-of-two Vicky Phelan came forward following her misdiagnosis case.

The number of women contacting the Dublin Well Woman clinics shot up 232% (from 128 to 425) the week after her High Court case, which was settled for €2.5m on April 25.

The clinics reported a ‘high level of anxiety’ among women.