Confidence in CervicalCheck further undermined by dripfeed of revelations – Donnelly

Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Health, Stephen Donnelly, has said the emerging news that the Minister for Health was aware as far back as 6 ^th June of the efforts of one CervicalCheck patient to uncover the latest delays, has sparked further questions over who knew what and when. Deputy Donnelly said the constant drip feed of information was undermining confidence in the vital CervicalCheck programme.

He explained, “The CervicalCheck screening programme was launched in 2008 and is recognised as one of the most successful of its kind anywhere in the world. It’s important to remember that since its launch there has been a seven per cent fall each year in incidents of cervical cancer. This is an incredible result and has saved many lives. But for the programme to work, women must participate in it, and for that they must have confidence in it.

“That confidence is being repeatedly shaken. Reports of non-disclosures, the delays in results for 80,000 women, the delays in the HPV test, the revelations that labs were being used unknown to the HSE – each of these revelations further erodes confidence. Last week we found out that 800 women, many of whom were already having to be retested because of previous delays, did not have their tests sent to them or their doctors since as far back as last October.

“If that wasn’t bad enough, the story about who knew what when also appears to be something of a movable target. We now know that the HSE knew about this issue in February. Given that, it’s an extraordinary coincidence that the news only broke the day the Dáil went into recess. We were told that the Department of Health only found out about the issue in July, with the Minister only briefed on Tuesday of last week.

“Today we learn that the Minister’s office was in communication with the lady in question many weeks earlier, on 6 ^th June. Furthermore, that correspondence confirms that the Minister was aware of the delays, and that these delays were being addressed as a priority. This feels very like what happened last year, when the Department briefed the politicians on the upcoming case of Vicky Phelan, but nothing was done until Ms. Phelan’s case appeared on the evening news.

“We have heard directly from the patient advocates who are giving up their free time, of the deep frustration they’re feeling at being briefed about the issue less than an hour before the story broke in the media. This shows little more than contempt for them and I can understand their anger. There is concern from some of the patient advocates that the HSE and Department of Health are meeting ahead of scheduled meetings with them. They feel they are then being fed an agreed line – the Minister needs to clarify whether this is the case.

“At this point we need to hear from the Minister as to the exact timeline of who knew what and when. I want to know why there seem to be so many discrepancies in what has been said so far, and why it has taken so long to act, yet again. It is imperative that women and their doctors have confidence in this screening programme. And that requires openness and transparency from Government”, he concluded.