Vicky Phelan from Annacotty, Co. Limerick, pictured speaking to the media on leaving the Four Courts Picture: Collins Courts

UP TO 15 women have died without knowing that they had a delayed cervical cancer diagnosis, Independent.ie understands.

Furthermore, they may have benefited from earlier treatment, according to an audit.

Informed sources believe the CervicalCheck scandal is much worse than anticipated at the start of the weekend.

Between 100 and 150 women are in the process of being told that a smear test did not pick up abnormalities.

Final figures are expected to be determined this afternoon when an audit of 206 women affected is completed.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said he is "very angry" about the scandal.

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He said an inquiry will be established to find out the full facts of Vicky Phelan's case and others.

Speaking at a Brexit event in Dundalk today, Mr Varadkar said he was "filled with sadness" when he heard Ms Phelan's story.

He said it was wrong that women were not informed of the audits earlier, adding that there were "appalling communications failures".

However, he urged women to continue attending cancer screening clinics.

"Cancer screening does work," he said, while admitting that there will always be some 'false negatives'.

"We'll do everything we can to restore confidence in these programmes," Mr Varadkar said

Expand Close Vicky Phelan and husband Jim outside the High Court. Picture: Courtpix / Facebook

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The inquiry is likely to be led by the Health and Information Authority (HIQA).

The Cabinet is also to discuss the possibility of making compensation payments to the women in question when it meets tomorrow.

The €2.5m payment made on the steps of the High Court last week to Vicky Phelan, whose case has shone a light on the scandal, was made by a private US lab who conducted her smear review. It is not clear who would have to fund payments to other women.

Meanwhile, the HSE confirmed last night that more than 2,000 people who are worried about their smear tests results have contacted the CervicalCheck helpline.

The HSE said that the helpline is experiencing some difficulties as they are currently receiving a large volume of calls.

The helpline was established on Friday morning and was set up for women concerned about their cervical screening results after mum-of-two Vicky Phelan's case hit headlines last week.

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin has called for the briefing note alerting the Health Minister to Vicky Phelan's case to be made public.

Mr Martin said it appears Simon Harris wasn't "alerted to the enormity" of the CervicalCheck scandal when he was first told about Ms Phelan's court action on April 16.

"Those in authority must have known this was going to become public knowledge," he said.

The Fianna Fáil leader, who is himself a former health minister, said people need to know who contacted Mr Harris and what they told him about Ms Phelan's case.

He said the figures now emerging for the number of women who were not told of a delayed cancer diagnosis are "quite shocking and appalling".

Mr Martin said the full scale of the problem might never have come to light "only for Vicky Phelan's doggedness and determination".

He described the State's tough legal strategy in handling Ms Phelan's case as "worrying".

Mr Martin said the Cabinet now needs to look at a compensation process that won't involve the State Claims Agency defending cases in court.

"It's not about government ministers calling for something, it's making it happen."

Asked about his own role in setting up the HSE, Mr Martin said that even before it there were a string of health controversies.

Vicky Phelan, the terminally ill woman whose incorrect cancer test result has shone a light on the CervicalCheck programme, has revealed that Minister for Health Simon Harris called her personally to apologise.

Ms Phelan revealed on the Ray D'Arcy Show on RTÉ 1 last night that Minster Harris rang her to personally apologise for what happened to her.

"As soon as I heard the voice I knew who it was and he said 'hi Vicky, it is Simon Harris here'," Ms Phelan explained.

"'I just wanted to call you personally to apologise for what has happened to you but he also wanted to thank me for still encouraging women to go for smears and for promoting the Cervical screening programme' he said.

"I said to him basically look, what has happened to me is awful. I do believe in the programme, cervical smears do save women's lives and what I don't want to happen is more women diagnosed with cervical cancer and I thought it was important that I come out and say that because I think people would listen to me rather than the HSE at the moment."

The HSE said in a statement last night; "The HSE Serious Incident Management Team (SIMT) which was established on Friday 27th April 2018 met today on two occasions in order to progress further a full review of 206 cases within the CervicalCheck Programme.

"These 206 cases relate to cytology audits that suggested a different result from the original and that would have recommended an investigation to occur at an earlier stage.

"The review has been challenging as it involves verifying particular information from 13 sites across the country. The sites in question have been very responsive to the request for information and the review has advanced well over the weekend.

"It is expected that it - for the most part - will be completed tomorrow. The Chair of the SIMT will present the review to the DG of the HSE."

The statement continued to say: "Once the Review has been completed, the next step involves contacting all of those women whom, it has been found, have not been contacted to date.

"These women will be contacted over the course of tomorrow (Monday) and offered an appointment during the week to discuss the findings of the audit as concerns them.

"This is likely to be a complex task due to the numbers involved and the availability of those being contacted, some of whom are outside of the jurisdiction either temporarily or permanently.

"The SIMT was informed that the helpline was once again very busy today. As of 1:30pm there were 614 contacts.

"The process of call-backs to these callers has commenced. It is expected that each call-back is likely to take between 10 and 30 minutes depending on the nature of the call.

"By close of business today it is expected that over 2,000 calls will have been taken by the helpline."

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Former Clinical Director of CervicalCheck, Dr Gráinne Flannelly stood down from her position on Saturday night.

She told the HSE of her intention to resign saying she was sorry that recent events caused distress and worry to women.

Dr Flannelly said she had decided to step aside to allow the service continue its important work.

"I would like this evening to announce that I have taken a decision to stand aside from my role as Clinical Director of CervicalCheck with immediate effect.

"I am sorry that recent events caused distress and worry to women. I have decided to step aside to allow the Programme to continue it's important work.

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of the doctors, nurses and programme staff of CervicalCheck for their continued hard work and commitment towards delivering a first-class service for the women of Ireland."

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Earlier the Minister for Health Simon Harris said he had lost confidence in senior management in CervicalCheck.

You can call the HSE helpline on 1800 45 45 55

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