Taoiseach: Doctors should apologise 'in person' to CervicalCheck scandal victims for withholding information
The Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said doctors who withheld information from women affected by the cervical cancer controversy should apologise in person.
The Scally report was highly critical of how women at the centre of the scandal were treated.
Yesterday, Dr Scally outlined how one consultant delivered the news to a family whose mother was deceased.
"They said they went in for their disclosure meeting and the consultant said several times about the late woman's smoking habit and also told them that nuns don't get cervical cancer.
"Now if that isn't paternalism, verging on misogyny. If that isn't paternalism, what is?"
Dr Gabriel Scally said the doctors in question, who were mainly men, should say sorry.
The Taoiseach agreed today, saying: "We’ve already done the apology on behalf of the Government, the HSE at CEO level has offered an apology.
"But I think what now should be done - as recommended by Dr Scally - is women being offered those individual meetings with the individual consultants who had the information and didn't pass it on, to offer that apology in person."
