NINE Irish women have brought new legal cases against the National Screening Service claiming that their cervical cancer was misdiagnosed, according to the Irish Times.
The number of legal claims has increased to 28 since the controversy came to light over two months ago, with a further two potential challenges and one closed case.
The controversy came to public attention when a Limerick woman Vicky Phelan settled a High Court action after it emerged her cancer was missed in a smear test three years before she was diagnosed.
The missed smear test was only discovered in 2014 after her diagnosis but she was not told until 2017.
Dr Gráinne Flannelly, former director of CervicalCheck, resigned her position after the controversy emerged and the Minister for Health did not declare confidence in her.
The emergence of the new cases comes as the Cabinet meets this morning to sign off on legislation to implement mandatory open disclosure.
Minister for Health Simon Harris will bring the Heads of the Patient Safety Bill to Cabinet today, which will oblige medical professionals to disclose “serious reportable safety incidents” to those who have been harmed by them and to the Health Information and Quality Authority.
The figures on new cervical cancer cases sent to the Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee relate to the period up to June 18th and do not reflect the case of Emma Mhic Mhathúna, who settled her case for €7.5 million last week.
