Vicky Phelan's 'spirit lives on' one year since CervicalCheck campaigner's death

“Her spirit lives on and it inspires all of us,” said the 221+ group, set up to support women and families directly affected by CervicalCheck controversies.

“As a community of women and families brought together by circumstances beyond our doing, 221+ will continue to follow the spirit of Vicky Phelan. We are determined that what she led us to learn will be put to good use.”

The group highlighted the new Patient Safety Bill which brought in mandatory open disclosure of error, saying her role in this was acknowledged by many politicians.

“Vicky would certainly have enjoyed the moment but only as a stepping stone.”

It said that she would also have welcomed the re-start of processing CervicalCheck samples in the National Cervical Screening Laboratory after a six-month hiatus, having campaigned for this.

The group also highlighted reforms arising from Gabriel Scally’s recommendations in 2018, a review commissioned due to Ms Phelan’s campaigning.

“[These] are real changes that will benefit tens of thousands of Irish women for years to come.

“But Vicky would be first to say that they are not enough. Her experience was that there isn’t coherence or co-ordination in the Irish healthcare system for the planning and delivery of women’s health and the necessities arising.”

The group predicted that the intense focus on CervicalCheck will pass, but raised concerns.

“Many of the underlying systemic weaknesses that allowed its failure to happen are still there.

“As we reflect on the year since Vicky left us, our desire to address those weaknesses is as strong as ever.”

The 221+ group wants a unified focus on women’s health, saying Vicky saw this as the bigger picture.

“Her courtside statement in 2018 was not to talk about her case but to alert others to what should have been done better for them.”

The advocates also said that Ms Phelan’s family was most impacted by this tragic loss.

“Our first thoughts this week are for Amelia and Darragh, her pride and joy, her husband Jim, her mother and father — Gaby and John, her siblings, extended family and friends of whom there are many.

“For them her absence from their lives every day can’t be replaced.”

Campaign

Before she died, Ms Phelan planned to lead a campaign promoting cervical screening with the Irish Examiner.

The campaign launched this week in her memory, advising: “Read My Lips: Choose screening — book a cervical screening test today.”

The campaign is supported by high-profile women, including 221+ founding member Lorraine Walsh, and the online hashtag is #ReadMyLips.