Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 18 December 2019

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health

Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists Independent Expert Panel Review into Cervical Screening: Discussion

Photo of Alan KellyAlan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I have just one supplementary question. In the report regarding Lorraine Walsh's issue, which is public which is why we talk about it, it stated that as part of this process there was verification. We all know there was a whole range of reports done by RCOG which had to be sent by the HSE back to all the women. At one phase maybe 40% were sent through. All the databases were checked and in the case of Lorraine Walsh, her slide had been reviewed. If she had not come back - in fairness to Damien McCallion and others in the HSE - to this day we would not have got a second report. That is where the issue is here. It was only because she knew what she was talking about that the HSE was in a position to send two fantastic ladies down to her 24 hours later. It was only that she knew what she was talking about and she knew there had to be a problem. If it is in that case, how do we know it is not so in other cases? Today Professor Kitchener has told us there are five reviews and now there is a second case. That is my first question.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.