Mr. Stephen Teap:

Certainly. It is important to highlight that Ms Walsh and I never applied for this job. No one advertised it. Ms Walsh and I both come from tragic backgrounds. All of a sudden, we were given the title of "patient advocate" or "patient representative". After a month of going public, I saw myself being referred to with different titles. It was not just "widower" anymore. Now, I was a "patient advocate" or "patient representative". The main problem is that, when one comes from a tragic background, one is reacting to something that has happened. There are other areas of the HSE where people are required on a more proactive basis, but when people come from tragic backgrounds like ours, they could be anyone. Instead, who we are looking for are people who have time and money to fill these roles.

Ms Walsh and I do not have these either. Dr. Scally or someone else used the word "exploitation". There is no support whatsoever for us. There was no induction pack or explanation as to where the Department of Health, the HSE and its staff fall. There is no psychological help or any assistance like that at all. There is nothing whatsoever.

The issues raised in the conversations I have had with the Minister and the Department were first raised on the back of something Dr. Scally said to me but also because of something said by a friend of mine who works in the HSE in Cork and who attended a conference. The conference was led by someone from the United Kingdom, which already has a system in place for patient representatives. In the United Kingdom, there is a proper, structured platform for patient representatives, who are supported in every way. When Ms Walsh and I sit at a table, it is not about money but about respect and coming from an area of respect. The patient representative system does reimburse one for one's time but it also puts the associated supports in place. It is also to get away from having people who come from the backgrounds Ms Walsh and I come from. There will always be a scandal and something will always go wrong, and people will step up to the plate, but when they do they should be supported.

Other issues arise in the HSE, and within CervicalCheck, concerning the marketing and putting the programmes and information packs together. Many people have volunteered their time to do this but we need to get the right people to volunteer. They must be of the right age profile and gender. The volunteers should be relevant to what exactly is going on in the healthcare system. It is about ensuring that we can attract those individuals and have the supports in place. Those in their 30s, male or female, are probably going through a very expensive time in their lives, particularly if they have a small family and big mortgage. How can people of that age profile be asked to volunteer a day per week or per month in the HSE to improve it? That cannot be expected. The majority who volunteer, while they are needed to represent their own age profile, are retired, because of their age and the time they have available. It is not ideal that they would be representing people our age. Obviously they are important to represent themselves but we would be lost without them. It is about having the relevant people on this platform. This is what we have been discussing with the Department of Health. It has examined the UK model. Right now, it is only a conversation. Everyone's support is needed to try to drive it on and put the arrangement in place. When I talk about diluting the culture of patient representatives and medical professionals working together, I am suggesting that the platform is what gives patient representatives respect. The platform obviously has to have buy-in from the medical profession and also the colleges if it is to be put together. It is important to try to have something in place for-----