Rebecca O'Malley, the woman at the centre of a major breast cancer diagnosis scandal several years ago, has expressed shock at the current cervical cancer screening controversy.
Ms O'Malley praised Vicky Phelan, a Limerick woman whose recent court case exposed failings in the CervicalCheck programme.
Tragically, and not for the first time within Irish healthcare, not putting the patient at the centre of the whole process has cost some people their lives
“My heart goes out to Vicky Phelan and her family. She has bravely fought the system to highlight her case and, hopefully, bring about urgently needed change for the benefit of others,” she said.
“Tragically, and not for the first time within Irish healthcare, not putting the patient at the centre of the whole process has cost some people their lives,” Ms O’Malley said.
In 2005 Ms O’Malley, who then lived in Co Tipperary, went for a biopsy to test for suspected breast cancer, which came back clear. However, a second biopsy 14 months later revealed she did have cancer, before it emerged later the first test did show malignancy.
On Monday the Health Service Executive (HSE) said 162 women who developed cervical cancer had not been told previous smear tests which gave them the all-clear had, on review, indicated earlier intervention in their cases was necessary.
What patients cannot accept or forgive is the deliberate withholding of crucial information from them that restricts their rightful choices
Ms O'Malley, who now lives in the UK, said there should have been no room for the withholding of information in relation to mistakes with past smear tests. "How could it not have been a priority to contact all those women who had been misdiagnosed?" she told The Irish Times.
Honesty
“The public rely on complete honesty, integrity and transparency from our health service and those that work within it,” Ms O’Malley said.
“Patients may be able to forgive those in the medical service for making mistakes – humans do, and will always, make mistakes. What patients cannot accept or forgive is the deliberate withholding of crucial information from them that restricts their rightful choices,” she said.
In June 2007 Ms O'Malley received an apology from then minister for health Mary Harney. However, it would be five years later, after a High Court battle, that the HSE apologised and admitted full liability.
A court settlement was reached for an undisclosed amount in July 2012. Her case also led to a Health Information and Quality Authority investigation into the misdiagnosis.
