Eighty-eight women still waiting for files from CervicalCheck

Eighty-eight women have yet to receive their medical files from CervicalCheck, it has been confirmed.

Figures released by the National Screening Service to Fianna Fáil TD Michael McGrath show 204 women have made requests seeking their medical records. However, only 116 of the files have been handed over.

Mr McGrath said this was “extraordinary” after the promises given by the Government.

The Fianna Fáil TD called on Minister for Health Simon Harris to intervene to ensure the women could access their files immediately.

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The controversy came to light after Limerick woman Vicky Phelan, who has cervical cancer, settled a High Court case for €2.5 million against another US lab, Clinical Pathology Laboratories, a sister lab of MedLab, in April.

Ms Phelan sued when she discovered last year that a 2014 audit, carried out after she was diagnosed with cancer, revealed an incorrect smear test result in 2011 missing early signs of her illness.

Since the settlement, it emerged 209 women diagnosed with cervical cancer had their cases reviewed, including 18 women who died.

The number of those affected has the potential to increase as a further 46 cases are being audited.

Mr Harris and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar have insisted there should be no barrier to women accessing their medical files.

However, many have reported difficulties in securing the information from the organisation.

The figures show all requests for records made in 2015, 2016 and 2017 were granted in full.