A terminally ill woman says she hopes other women with cervical cancer will not have to go through the courts to get justice.
(Source: Wikimedia Commons)Thirty seven-year-old Ruth Morrissey from Limerick has won her High Court action over the alleged misreading of smear tests and the failure to tell her about them.
Ms. Morrissey and her husband Paul have been awarded €2,100,000 in damages after suing the HSE, Quest Diagnostics and MedLab Pathology Limited.
Mr. Justice Kevin Cross said if her case had been dealt with properly she would never have contracted terminal cancer and been left with two years to live.
Ruth says Taoiseach Leo Varadkar told women like her they wouldn't have to go through the courts.
Outside court today, she urged others to continue to get smear tests and the HPV vaccine.
"It does save many lives and it's a screening programme that we need. The HPV [vaccine], if you're eligible, please get it. This is not a cancer that you want."
The Taoiseach has said he cannot confirm when an alternative way of dealing with cervical cancer misdiagnosis cases will be established.
"I can't give you a date. We're targeting having that legislation through before the summer recess and we've put all resources behind it. But it's something that hasn't ever been done before. There have been other tribunals before but this is very different in nature. Our objective is to put in place a tribunal so that women taking these cases have an alternative to court. The judge is appointed, the draft scheme of legislation is published and we're giving it priority.
