Vicky Phelan and cervical check

[seafoid]

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/vicky-phelan-i-m-here-to-tell-the-tale-and-by-god-i-m-going-to-take-these-guys-on-1.3479433

Vicky Phelan (43), from Annacotty in Co Limerick, is suffering from terminal cancer after earlier receiving a negative smear test under the HSE’s CervicalCheck programme.

On Monday, the HSE confirmed a total of 162 women were not informed of a delay in their cancer diagnosis.

A total of 17 of these women have died, but the cause of death is not yet known. The HSE is still trying to contact another 13 women.
She said the inquiry should examine why the HSE fought against her High Court case so hard, including asking for details of how sick she was and how soon she might die.

“It’s upsetting to think they demanded proof that I was likely to die earlier than expected. I mean Jesus, how dare they?” Ms Phelan asked.

In January of this year, she was given between six and 12 months to live.

She is currently on a treatment drug which costs €8,500 per dosage every three weeks. She said she is currently paying for the drug herself.

[Denn Forever]

It is all very Kafka esque.  She finds because while waiting for a consultation, she is given her file and takes a sneak peak.  Seeing some words she doesn't understand, she takes a photo with her phone so she can look it up later on.

[AZOffaly]

My wife knows this lady. It's unbelievably sad.

[Dinny Breen]

I worked for the National Cancer Screening Service. Was also a direct report to Tony O'Brien, he was CEO at the time.

It didn't surprise me when this broke, consultants have been know to retrospectively change false negatives back to positives.

As a society we don't do accountability and always looking to pass the buck.

Tony O'Brien should resign immediately.

[Denn Forever]

http://www.broadsheet.ie/2018/04/30/hse-boss-dismissed-my-concerns-about-cervical-screening-results/

Nobody could have predicted right? 

On RTÉ One’s Morning Ireland.

RTE’s Jackie Fox interviewed Dr David Gibbons, a former member of the National Cervical Screen Programme, who raised serious concerns about the outsourcing of cervical smear tests to US labs ten years ago.

He raised his concerns when he realised that the US lab tests were detecting fewer cases of cervical cancer than the tests done in Ireland.

When nothing changed as a consequence of him raising his concerns with the head of the HSE Tony O’Brien, he resigned.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V40SF_8pQIU

[seafoid]

https://www.rte.ie/eile/2018/0504/960307-theres-something-about-vicky-miriam-ocallaghan/
It was not at all surprising to hear that Mr Justice Cross, the judge who heard her case, described Vicky as the most impressive witness he had ever come across in his long career.

When the programme ended, Vicky, myself, my wonderful co-presenter David McCullagh and the rest of the Prime Time team went to our Green Room where we had a few drinks and chatted until late. It was a special time. I think everyone felt like me, that we were all in the presence of greatness.

There’s something about Vicky.