“Information continues to be withheld from women and I will continue to fight back.”
Vicky Phelan has responded angrily to the news that parts of the Scally Report – a 200-page scoping report by Dr Gabriel Scally into the CervicalCheck controversy – had been leaked to the media by saying that she feels she had woken up to “a whitewash”.
Phelan took to Twitter upon hearing the news, stating that the feelings she experienced when finding out about the Scally report are akin to those she felt upon hearing her terminal cancer diagnosis.
#CervicalCheck I am late to the table with my reaction for 2 reasons. Lest you all forget, I am still an ill woman battling cancer. The FIRST morning I decide to take a lie in to prepare myself for the gruelling week of interviews ahead and what do I wake up to – a whitewash 1/3
— Vicky Phelan (@PhelanVicky) September 11, 2018
Today was the day I had set aside to pick up my kids from school and spend some time with them. That is now NOT going to happen. I find myself in the same position as I did a few months ago when I found out that I had not been informed about my own health. 2/3
— Vicky Phelan (@PhelanVicky) September 11, 2018
Information continues to be withheld from women and I will continue to fight back. Today @Stephenteap @LorcallWalsh and I meet with Scally…3/4
— Vicky Phelan (@PhelanVicky) September 11, 2018
Parts of the report have been leaked ahead of its previously scheduled publication date of Wednesday 12 September.
Included in this leak is a finding by Scally which says he believes there is no need to hold a Commission of Investigation to find out the truth of what happened.
Before the leak, Minister for Health Simon Harris took to Twitter to share that the unpublished document deserves “proper consideration.”
Harris has since described the publication’s disclosure as “extremely regrettable”. He said he has put a scheme in place with Dr Scally to ensure that the women involved in the scandal would be briefed before the media.
Have asked Dr Scally to brief the representatives of the women and families impacted by the CervicalCheck report today. Very grateful that he has agreed to do this
— Simon Harris TD (@SimonHarrisTD) September 11, 2018
The Health Minister added that he did not know who leaked the report, but that he would like to know and will try to find out.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Labour Party Health Spokesperson Alan Kelly said it was an “absolute disgrace” that the women and families had to find out through the media, adding that the Government has some explaining to do.
However, he did disagree with Scally claiming that he believes a Commission should still go ahead. Fianna Fáil Health Spokesperson Stephen Donnelly shares this view – mentioning on RTÉ’s Today with Sean O’Rourke that he firmly believes a Commission should be constructed.
Stephen Teap, a man whose wife Irene died of cervical cancer after getting wrong test results, said victims who were due to receive a briefing on the Scally report tomorrow feel betrayed as a result of the leak.
He also took to Twitter upon hearing the news, directing his anger at Harris and the Taoiseach.
Heartbroken this morning at the disrespect shown towards the women and families in this scandal by Government @SimonHarrisTD @campaignforleo leaking this report before the families find out, very upsetting waking up to this #cervicalcheckscandal
— 𝕊𝕥𝕖𝕡𝕙𝕖𝕟 𝕋𝕖𝕒𝕡 (@Stephenteap) September 11, 2018
The CervicalCheck scandal involved 221 women who developed cervical cancer after receiving incorrect results from a series of smear tests.
Nineteen of the women have died and several others are terminally ill.
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