CervicalCheck cancer scandal

The CervicalCheck cancer scandal first emerged in 2018 and involved several women in the Republic of Ireland suing the Health Service Executive (HSE) after they received incorrect smear test results for cervical cancer.[1][2][3]

In 2011, Vicky Phelan, a mother of two children from Annacrotty, County Limerick, underwent a smear test for cervical cancer. Although her test showed no abnormalities, she was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2014. An internal CervicalCheck review found the original result to be incorrect, but Phelan was not informed of this fact until 2017. She sued Clinical Pathology Laboratories Inc, Austin, Texas, over the incorrect test. The case was settled for €2.5 million without admission of liability.[4] 14 other women in the 2014 review were also found to have 'false-negative' test results.

On 26 April 2018 the HSE confirmed that 206 women had developed cervical cancer after having a misdiagnosed CervicalCheck smear test.[5] Of these, 162 had not been told that the initial results were incorrect.[6] Dr Grainne Flannelly, CervicalCheck's clinical director, stepped down on 28 April. A week earlier it was reported that Dr Flannelly had in 2017 advised a gynaecologist not to advise women about the re-evaluated test results, but to file the results instead.[7]

In response to the controversy, the Irish Department of Health announced on 8 May 2018 that a scoping inquiry was being established, to be carried out by Dr Gabriel Scally.[8]

In May, HSE director-general Tony O'Brien took temporary leave of absence from the board of a US medical company amid renewed calls for him to stand aside from his position due to the ongoing scandal.[9] Tony O'Brien announced his resignation as director-general of the HSE with effect from close of business on 11 May.[10]

On 12 September 2018 the Department of Health published Dr Scally's final report.[11] The report gathered testimony from women and families affected by the scandal, and conducted an investigation and audit of the CervicalCheck programme. It also contained 50 recommendations covering access to medical records, governance of CervicalCheck, procurement of laboratory services and revision of the HSE's open disclosure policy.

Emma Mhic Mhathúna, a terminally ill mother of five children who was one of the women given an inaccurate negative test made national media headlines in May, including an interview on Morning Ireland.[12][13] Appearing on The Late Late Show, she called for the HSE to be "dismantled and reassembled". Mhic Mhathúna died on 7 October 2018.

Vicky Phelan, a terminally ill mother of two children, whose legal case against the state was one of the catalysts for the publication of the controversy, was named as one of the BBC's 100 Women in 2018.[1][14]

Increased scrutiny into BreastCheck and BowelScreen has followed from this controversy.[15][16]

On 12 December 2018, Minister for Health Simon Harris TD published an implementation plan based on Dr Scally's report.[17] The plan set out 126 actions arising from the report's recommendations. Announcing an independent review of the plan, Minister Harris said:

I welcome [Dr Sally's] initial assessment of this Plan and his confirmation that he is satisfied that all parties are taking seriously his findings and recommendations, that resources have been allocated to take the work forward at a high level of priority, and that the proposed work programme is impressive in its commitment to making rapid progress.[18]