Sheila Reilly: Thanks to Vicky Phelan, a veil has been lifted on Irish women’s healthcare

Vicky Phelan. Picture: RTÉ

From the moment she stood on the steps of the High Court in April 2018 to deliver a damning assessment of her treatment at the hands of the Cervical Check programme and the HSE, Vicky Phelan has shaken the foundations of women’s healthcare in Ireland.

In refusing to be silenced by a confidentiality clause in her case against a US lab and the HSE, Vicky Phelan blew the lid on a controversy that could have remained under wraps for years.