'I take offence' - Vicky Phelan hits back at Ciara Kelly's 'disrespectful' CervicalCheck article

Cancer campaigner Vicky Phelan has blasted radio presenter Ciara Kelly over a "disrespectful" article she wrote about those who sued over CervicalCheck.

Writing in last weekend’s Sunday Independent, Dr Kelly, who presents a Newstalk lunchtime programme, said "many view the ongoing situation with CervicalCheck simply as cause for litigation".

She added: “It is a public health success story, despite its limitations. If it is sued into oblivion, who will benefit? No one will benefit except those in receipt of legal fees.”

Her article referenced the soon-to-be-published review by The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) in the UK of CervicalCheck smear tests.

Vicky Phelan, who successfully sued after she received incorrect smear test results, told her 22,400 Twitter followers there were "many problems" with Dr Kelly’s article.

And she took issue with a tweet of the article by the HSE’s National Director of Communications Paul Connors.

The 44-year-old mother of two from Limerick, said Mr Connors "should be withholding comment until the RCOG report has been published and ALL women & families have been contacted".

She said: “As usual, however, scant respect is shown to those affected.”

On Dr Kelly’s claims that many people view CervicalCheck as "cause for litigation", she said: “This is simply not true. Of the 221 group so far, ONLY 6 cases have hit the courts. Yes, there are more cases pending but it is certainly not the case that all of the @221plus have cause to sue.

“I take offence at Ciara's claim that 'no one will benefit from suing except those in receipt of legal fees'.

Tell that to my children, and the children of Emma Mhic Mhathúna and Ruth Morrissey who have successfully sued and who will not see our children grow up.

"Our settlements will be used to 'benefit' our families when we are gone.”

She also condemned those who claim those who sue will be to blame for the destruction of the cervical screening programme.

Mrs Phelan, who is dying of cervical cancer, said: “CervicalCheck did that all on its own, as the Scally Report has shown.”

A HSE spokesperson said: “Paul Connors has deleted (his) tweet. He apologises for any upset caused on this occasion.”

Dr Kelly said she did not want to comment on Mrs Phelan’s tweets and that she stands by her original article.