Over 200 women diagnosed with cervical cancer should have received earlier intervention than they did, figures released by the HSE suggest.

The figures were released following the controversy surrounding Vicky Phelan (43), a mother of two from Limerick, who was given incorrect cancer results and is now terminally ill.

Ms Phelan underwent a smear test in 2011 and was told that no abnormalities were found. However this was incorrect and by the time she had another smear test in 2014, she had cervical cancer.

In January of this year, she was told her cancer was terminal and was given six to 12 months to live.

Earlier this week, she settled her High Court action against a US laboratory for €2.5 million. The settlement was made without an admission of liability.

The Minister for Health, Simon Harris, and the Tanaiste, Simon Coveney, have apologised to Ms Phelan and her family.

According to the HSE, almost 1,500 cases of cervical cancer have been notified to the cervical screening programme, CervicalCheck, since it began a decade ago. It said that while many of these cases warranted no further review, reviews were needed in almost 30% of cases.

In almost half of those cases, it is suggested that earlier intervention was needed. 

Overall, just over 200 women with cervical cancer who had smear tests should have received earlier intervention than they did, the HSE noted. For over 170 of these women, a referral to a colposcopy might have been recommended earlier, while the remainder might have needed a repeat smear test to occur earlier.

The HSE said treating clinicians were informed about these findings and were asked to communicate with their patients directly where clinically appropriate.

Minister Harris and the HSE director general, Tony O'Brien, have agreed that an international peer review of CervicalCheck needs to take place to ensure ongoing confidence in it.

Responding to the controversy, the Irish Cancer Society extended its sincerest sympathies to Ms Phelan and her family.

"A cancer diagnosis is one of the most, if not the most, difficult experiences a person and their family can deal with. Doing so at a late stage, in the knowledge that you could have been diagnosed earlier is a harrowing experience, and it is saddening to see cancer patients on the steps of the High Court," it said.

It said that despite the controversy, it is ‘fully supportive' of CervicalCheck, describing it as ‘the best available measure we have at our disposal to detect cervical cancer early'.

"It has helped reduce the cervical cancer rate nationally at a rate of 7% per year. Combined with the HPV vaccine, there is an opportunity to all but eradicate cervical cancer in the decades ahead. The Society has full confidence in the service, which we expect will progress from smear to HPV testing as a first-line test in the near future. This will further reduce the risk of cervical cancer and improve identification of the risk of cervical cell abnormalities," the charity said.

However, it acknowledged that there will ‘never be a health service without some degree of human error'.

"No diagnostic test or screening service is 100% reliable, but what should be the number one priority for all aspects of the health service is the patient and their care.

"In the case of Vicky Phelan, the ICS is deeply concerned that it took three years to notify her of missed abnormalities in her initial screen. This represents a breakdown in communication. No woman should have to wait this long for information relevant to their care," it said.

The charity added that any woman affected by this story who needs support can speak to trained cancer nurses on 1800 200 700.