As a moving documentary on Vicky Phelan is released in cinemas, Stephen Teap in Carrigaline remembers his wife Irene who was a victim of the cervical cancer scandal
EVERYONE needs to go and see the documentary film Vicky that puts the spotlight on the CervicalCheck controversy.
So says Stephen Teap whose wife Irene died from cervical cancer in 2017 having twice received incorrect smear test results.
The controversy came to light in 2018 after Kilkenny woman Vicky Phelan, who has terminal cervical cancer, settled her High Court case for €2.5m after she was given incorrect smear test results.
She blew the whistle on the scandal, and an inquiry established that Cervical Check and its doctors failed to inform hundreds of women of an audit of their cervical smear tests after being diagnosed with cancer.
Some were already dead, including Irene Teap. The 35-year-old mum-of-two died not knowing she was given false negative test results in 2010 and 2013.
‘It’s important for every woman to see this documentary, but also for every father and husband out there as well,’ said Stephen.
‘This is a real truth that puts a big spotlight on women’s health.
‘But it also shows how it affects everyone – just look at my house, me, and our boys Oscar and Noah,’ said Stephen, who lives in Carrigaline, and who has strong ties to West Cork.
‘This is a documentary for everyone to see and to be aware of.’
Stephen, who contributes to the documentary, said he didn’t have to think twice about being part of it.
‘It was an easy decision to make. I made Irene’s story public in April 2018, so I was already committed. I liked how this would put the story on permanent record, so no one could re-write what happened,’ he said.
When he discovered how Irene had died unnecessarily (in her 2010 audited test results, pre-cancerous cells were detected and in audited 2013 results, cancer was detected) he was overwhelmed with anger.
Now, his focus is on truth and transparency, finding out what went wrong, and making sure it never happens again.
Along with Vicky Whelan and victim Louise Walsh he set up the 221+ patient support group, which represents women and families impacted by the smear test scandal. He’s also a patient representative on the CervicalCheck Steering Committee.
In a bid to get Irene’s truth, he launched a High Court legal action against two laboratories and the HSE in May.
He is suing over the alleged misreporting of two of his wife’s smear slides.
His sons (nine and seven, in fourth and first classes) have also lodged claims for nervous shock arising out of the death of their mother.
‘Hopefully it’ll reach a conclusion at the end of this year, after four-and-a-half years,’ he said.
‘But our biggest job of all is if people try to reword what did happen, we’re there to correct them, and remind them of the truth,’ he said.
Stephen said there has been lot of work done, including Dr Gabriel Scally’s scoping enquiry into CervicalCheck.
‘But every now and then someone comes out and says words that aren’t true, or they try to ignore what’s happened in the past.’
He’s referring to alleged comments made by head of CervicalCheck, Dr Noirin Russell, from Caheragh.
Dr Russell was reported as saying that some women were using the government tribunal process in a hope that ‘they might get some money.’
The comments were said to be made two years ago and Dr Russell acknowledged they were ‘careless and hurtful’ and do not reflect her views now.
But Stephen said it was still ‘extremely disappointing.’
‘It highlights the culture that we’ve been working against to change within the healthcare system from day one.
‘It shows what we’ve been battling against.’
It’s now five years since Irene died and the family mark her anniversary in her beloved Eyeries where her granny was from, and where they enjoyed many summer family holidays.
West Cork also has special associations for the couple as Stephen’s mum is from Sam’s Cross, near Clonakilty.
Time moves on, but Stephen says grief is a permanent state of mind, for him and the boys.
‘It’s not short term and there’s no cure for it.
‘The boys are doing really good. Every now and then they have a down day which they’re allowed. When they’re having a sad day with grief though it’s not like when they fall outside and I can put a plaster on their knee, and say it will be alright.
‘This won’t be alright. We just have to acknowledge it and allow them to be sad, and talk about their mum and keep her memory alive.’
Going forward, he says the work of the support group will never end.
‘Cervical cancer is a young woman’s disease but also beating cervical cancer doesn’t mean that your life just goes back to normal.
‘There are lifelong complications that are normally not spoken about, and that work will continue.’
Stephen said he’s no longer shocked by anything to do with the health system, or the level of mistakes that can be made.
‘It’s just been one thing after the other. But, on the other hand, my faith in humanity grows and grows because of people constantly reaching out, strangers wishing me luck, thanking me, and that’s what makes it all worthwhile.’ Stephen with Lorraine Walsh and Vicky Phelan and members of the 221+ group attending the State’s apology.
Stephen with Lorraine Walsh and Vicky Phelan and members of the 221+ group attending the State’s apology.
‘It’s a message for mná na hÉireann’
DESCRIBED as an ‘inspiring story of courage, hope and resilience,’ the documentary Vicky takes audiences behind the headlines of the CervicalCheck debacle.
In 2011, a cervical smear test Vicky Phelan had undergone with Ireland’s national state run organisation CervicalCheck was misreported to her as normal. CPL in Austin, Texas, the laboratory to whom this work was contracted, failed to identify that the slide showed cancerous cells.
In January 2018, Vicky was told she had a 10cm inoperable tumour mass. She was given the devastating news of a terminal diagnosis and that she had six-12 months to live.
At the age of 43, she was advised to go home and get her affairs in order. When reviewing her medical file, Vicky came across a two-page audit report from CervicalCheck in 2016 in relation to her misdiagnosed smear. She noticed page one of this audit was not included in her file. At that moment, she knew information about her diagnosis was missing.
Despite being terminally ill, Vicky, and her husband Jim prepared for trial against the Irish Health Service, and the American Laboratory CPL who misread her smear. Still the Irish public knew nothing of her case.
The dual opposition presented Vicky with a non-disclosure agreement, meaning the details of her case would be kept a secret. She refused to sign.
She settled her case for €2.5m, but blew the whistle for the national cervical cancer misdiagnosis exposé. The investigation went on to reveal that over 221 women were affected by the CervicalCheck scandal and that 17 women had already died by the time Vicky broke the story.
Documentary director Sasha King said she felt an overwhelming drive to connect with Vicky, and to make it her mission to share her story to as many people as possible
‘I wanted to capture Vicky behind the scenes, in real time, the day-to-day life, fighting to stay alive and fighting for all the other women affected. The cervical cancer story unravelled and evolved in front of us. 15 women effected became 40, then 120, and then the staggering reality of 221+ women being effected was revealed, with 17 of these women already dead.
‘I worked tirelessly for four years to get this film made to the highest production standard while sensitively carving out Vicky’s story. I believe we have captured her spirit and the essence of what makes Vicky a truly extraordinary woman. She is fighting for all of us. This is a message for Mná na hÉireann.’
• Vicky is showing in selected cinemas now.
