Irish Examiner view: We have lessons to learn from the death of Kay O’Keeffe

Mrs O'Keeffe's heartbroken family deserves credit for seeking answers — but screening programmes still deserve our support

Solicitor Lorcan Dunphy reading the statement from Kay O'Keeffe's family after the High Court hearing earlier this week. Picture: Collins Courts

Yesterday, this newspaper carried the heartbreaking story of Kay O’Keeffe, who died of breast cancer six years ago.

A letter of apology to her family was read out in the High Court this week from the National Screening Service, which is part of the HSE and runs the BreastCheck programme.

Referring to two BreastCheck mammogram images for Mrs O’Keeffe, in 2011 and 2013 respectively, the letter noted an abnormality is seen on both sets of imaging, and Mrs O’Keeffe should have been recalled to the assessment clinic for further work-up on both occasions. 

The High Court heard that liability was initially denied in the case but, when the case went to mediation, a breach of duty was admitted.

Credit goes to the O’Keeffe family for seeking answers in this case, and for being steadfast in their efforts to get some measure of justice for Kay. Clearly, it is incumbent on BreastCheck and similar programmes to ensure that they have procedures in place to try to stop anything like this from happening again.

Yet there is also no disputing the necessity for such screening programmes. In fact, it is possible to hold those two positions at once — complete sympathy for a family such as the O’Keeffes and support for their pursuit of the truth in this particular case, alongside the need for people to continue to be screened on a regular basis for various illnesses.

Labour TD Alan Kelly was with the O’Keeffe family in court, and he articulated this dual truth well, pointing out that he had raised Kay O’Keeffe’s case with BreastCheck, the National Screening Service, and the then health minister Simon Harris in 2018.

However, he also added: “I am a huge supporter of BreastCheck, and indeed all screening services. Screening saves lives.”

Mr Kelly’s point was well made. Health screening services remain as important as they ever were.