221+ Steering Group
Lorraine Walsh is a founding member of 221+ CervicalCheck Patient Support Group. Lorraine was diagnosed with cervical cancer at the age of 34, and found out later that an incorrect reading of her smear test delayed her diagnosis. Lorraine has worked tirelessly as a patient advocate since the start of the CervicalCheck debacle. She was also one of the patient representatives on the CervicalCheck Steering Committee, whose members include representatives from the Department of Health, the HSE and the Irish Cancer Society. Lorraine resigned from the CervicalCheck Steering Committee in December 2019.
Lorraine lives in Galway with her husband Gary.
Stephen Teap is a founding member of 221+ CervicalCheck Patient Support Group. Stephen lost his wife Irene to cervical cancer in July 2017. After her death he was informed that Irene had been part of the CervicalCheck audit. A year after his wife’s death Stephen helped launch the 221+ Patient Support Group. He is also one of the patient representatives on the CervicalCheck Steering Committee, whose members include representatives from the Department of Health, the HSE and the Irish Cancer Society.
Stephen lives in Carrigaline with his two sons Noah and Oscar.
Rosie Condra has recently joined the 221+ Steering Group. Rosie is part of the original cohort of 221+ members, and has been actively engaged since becoming a member. Rosie works as a hospital nurse. This, along with her own personal experience as a survivor of the CervicalCheck debacle, makes her input to 221+ invaluable.
Rosie lives in Drogheda with her family.
Vicky Phelan was a founding member of 221+ CervicalCheck Patient Support Group. She was a powerful advocate for all those affected by the CervicalCheck debacle since the very start. Vicky took the State to court after a chance reading of her medical record in September 2017 showed her diagnosis in 2014 had been delayed due to her inaccurate smear reading in 2011. Vicky lived in Limerick with her two children, Amelia and Darragh.
Vicky sadly passed away on the 14th November 2022. She is deeply mourned by the group and we extend our condolences to her family, for whom her loss is indescribable.
We promise however that her legacy will live on with the work 221+ and all advocates for patients and women’s health do, to ensure what she went through does not happen to others like her. This is our tribute to her.
Donal Buggy leads the Cancer Prevention & Cancer Support departments in the Irish Cancer Society; and is responsible for providing up to date information about cancer, delivering a range of services to improve the lives of people living with cancer and their families.
Donal was invited by the Minister for Health to sit on the Cervical Check Steering Committee and to establish a patient support group for the 221 women identified as having upgraded results as part of the Cervical Check audit.
Liz Yeates is the CEO of the Marie Keating Foundation and has been on the 221+ Steering Group from the beginning. In 2008, following a successful career in the private sector, Liz moved to the not-for-profit sector and joined Concern Worldwide where she led the Corporate & Major Donor Fundraising team for a period of 6 years.
As a survivor of both malignant melanoma and bilateral breast cancer, Liz had had her own direct experience of cancer and joined the Marie Keating Foundation in March, 2014 as Director of Public Affairs. She was promoted to CEO in March 2015.
Evelyn (Lyn) Fenton joined the steering group committee as a patient rep in January 2022. Lyn is part of the RCOG group of people failed by Cervical check.
Lyn had cervical cancer in 2015, and in 2019 found out that her cancer could have been prevented. There were 4 misread smears, and 4 opportunities to prevent cancer. Lyn is passionate about ensuring that no other woman in Ireland has to endure this sort of failure again. She wants a better, clearer and more honest screening service for women in Ireland – not just in cervical cancer screening, but for all women’s screening services.
Stephen McMahon is the Director and Co Founder of the Irish Patients Association, whose mission is to ensure that the patient is kept a the centre of the Irish Health system. It does this by advocating for the needs of patients to be paramount while working in partnership with health providers.
In addition to his policy-making, standard-setting, regulation, education and research experience, his 30 years in the private sector with a multi-national oil company has given him extensive expertise in areas such as procurement, operations, finance and marketing.
Communications Consultant
Padraig McKeon provides communications support and expertise to the 221+ Group. He brings 30+ years of hands on experience working as an advisor, a manager, a governor and a leader with organisations in each of the public, the private and the nonprofit sectors.
221+ Staff
Ceara Martyn joined 221+ in February 2020. Starting as the 221+ membership administrator she has since moved on to the role of 221+ Manager. Ceara brings 12 years’ experience working in the charity and community sector. She has a background working with membership organisations to support their needs and amplify the members voices.
