Terminally ill Ruth Morrissey had to source her own counselling, High Court hears
Ruth Morrissey who is terminally ill with cervical cancer was told to source her own counselling when she sought support from the HSE, the High Court has heard.
At one stage the young mother who is suing over the alleged misreading of her smear slides which were taken under the CervicalCheck screening programme was "very low" but told to source her own psychotherapy and furnish the receipts, a care expert said.
Specialist care consultant Noreen Roche said she thought it was “appalling” that somebody such as the 37-year old mother who has a maximum of two years to live still had to source her own psychotherapy or psychological support.
Ms Roche was giving evidence in the continuing action by Ruth Morrissey who is suing the HSE and two US laboratories over the alleged misreading of her cervical smears in 2009 and 2012.
At one stage Ms Roche said Ms Morrissey was feeling very low and she was told to source her own psychotherapy and furnish receipts.
The care expert told Mr Justice Kevin Cross the original plan was to put in support for” these women” but to date, no such support has been put in place.
“They are told to source their own counselling and furnish the receipts,” she said.
She added: “I think it is appalling for somebody in Ruth Morrissey’s condition that she still had to source psychotherapy or psychological counselling. Number one, she has no energy or the knowledge.”
She told the court she would have hoped the HSE would have sourced the appropriate person to provide counselling and psychotherapy.
“These women are left to their own devices to source all the support,” Ms Roche said.
She said Ruth Morrissey presents as a serene woman who considers herself as mentally strong.
Ms Morrissey, she said, dreads the side effects of chemotherapy. Ms Roche, who met Ms Morrissey last May, said the 37-year old woman is consumed with guilt that she can’t do normal activities with her young daughter.
The young mother she said has pain in her right leg and she was unsteady on her feet and needed to use the walls and furniture to help her get around.
Ruth Morrissey and her husband Paul Morrissey of Kylemore, Schoolhouse Road, Monaleen, Co Limerick have sued the HSE and the US laboratory Quest Diagnostics Ireland Ltd with offices at Sir John Rogerson's Quay, Dublin along with Medlab Pathology Ltd with offices at Sandyford Business Park, Dublin 18.
It is claimed there was an alleged failure to correctly report and diagnose and there was an alleged misinterpretation of her smear samples taken in 2009 and 2012.
A situation it is claimed allegedly developed where Ms Morrissey’s cancer spread unidentified, unmonitored and untreated until she was diagnosed with cervical cancer in June 2014.
It is further claimed a review of the 2009 and 2012 smears took place in 2014 and 2015 with the results sent to Ms Morrissey's treating gynaecologist in 2016, but she was not told until May 2018 of those review results which showed her smears were reported incorrectly.
The Morrisseys further contend if Ms Morrissey had been told the results of the smear test audits in late 2014 or early 2015, she would have insisted on an MRI and other scans.
The HSE the court has already heard admitted it owed a duty of care to Ms Morrissey but not to her husband. The laboratories deny all claims.
The case before Mr Justice Kevin Cross continues tomorrow.
