Families warn Harney ahead of misdiagnoses report

THE families of two women, who died after they were incorrectly given breast cancer all-clears, said they will hold Health Minister Mary Harney personally responsible if an investigation into the scandal fails to explain how the tragedies occurred.

Speaking before today’s publication of an independent report into services at Ennis General Hospital, the family of Ann Moriarty urged Ms Harney to keep her promise that the exact reasons for the needless deaths will be exposed.

Last September, the Government was thrown into another health service scandal after it emerged mother-of-one Ann Moriarty died of metastatic cancer in April 2008 — eight months after hospital X-rays insisted she was healthy. The tragic death of the 53-year-old, who had been in remission from breast cancer since a mastectomy in 2005, was initially believed to be an isolated incident.