New legislation offers screening reviews in memory of Vicky
CERVICAL cancer campaigner Vicky Phelan has had her memory honoured with the introduction of newly-passed legislation.
The Patient Safety Bill 2019 passed through the Dáil this week, will now provide mandatory open disclosure to patients by health services providers.
“Open disclosure” will ensure affected patients are notified by healthcare providers on their diagnosis. It will also mean that following a diagnosis, patients will be offered a review of their screening so they can look back and see whether something had been missed in the past.
In an interview with Morning Ireland, Tipperary Labour TD Alan Kelly referred to this Bill as “the most important legislation I have ever done in my life”, while thanking Health Minister Stephen Donnelly for his help.
As a friend of the late advocate, Vicky Phelan, he said, “I made a commitment to Vicky” and am delighted at the progress the Bill has made since it was first discussed in the Dáil, as it goes forward to the Seanad.
He added that the Bill will also require HIQA to audit private hospitals and nursing homes, which as he put it was before an “anomaly” and is now “critically important”.
Another issue the Labour TD highlighted was that there have been no audits of screenings since Vicky brought the issue to light, and there will not be any until this Bill is officially signed into law by the President, Michael D. Higgins. When that happens, he said that these women who have since had screenings will now be entitled to review their case completely. “This is what Vicky wanted”.
On the exceptional step forward, cervical cancer campaigner, Lorraine Walsh also spoke on the radio show saying, “It's difficult that Vicky isn't with us.”
She then spoke to the women of Ireland listening in and described the importance of getting a cervical cancer screening.
“If you haven't had your smear, go get it. Pick up your phone and make an appointment”.
In 2018, Vicky Phelan took on the state and won by blowing the whistle on the entire cervical cancer check scandal. After being told her smear showed “no abnormalities,” an audit on her screening lay unseen in her file which told a very different story. She wanted “action, not accolades” and lived to advocate for justice until her passing last November.