Bottrill finally to have his say

By FRANCESCA MOLD

The pathologist blamed for mis-reading thousands of cervical smears will today give answers that Gisborne women have been waiting more than a year for.

Since April, a ministerial inquiry has heard vast amounts of evidence from health authorities, medical experts and women caught up in the cancer scandal.

But today they will finally hear Dr Michael Bottrill's explanation for the mass under-reporting of slides which saw dozens of women develop cervical cancer.

The now-retired pathologist, who still lives in Gisborne, is understood to be in steadily worsening health and has suffered from memory loss since a coronary artery bypass several years ago.

Dr Bottrill is likely to spend most of today on the witness stand in front of a public gallery packed with affected women, four of whom gave their own harrowing evidence at the inquiry on Saturday.

It will be his second appearance.

Fourteen weeks ago, on April 13, he gave a brief and dramatic address, offering his "deepest regrets" to women who had suffered after relying on his reports.

In a display of anger and hurt, several women in the courtroom reacted by turning their backs as he apologised.

Besides questioning Dr Bottrill, the inquiry is expected today to debate whether the committee can override restrictive privacy regulations which have so far stopped researchers from auditing 51 cases of cervical cancer in the Gisborne region.

The audit, which is considered vital to determining what factors may have led to under-reporting of smears, would involve tracing the screening histories of the women as well as scrutinising their medical notes. If the committee gave the go-ahead, the project, headed by Otago-based epidemiologist Professor David Skegg, could present its results to the inquiry when it reconvenes in September.

Several women gave evidence at a special sitting on Saturday.

One of them, Andrea Winmill, who developed cervical cancer, said that she did not want revenge, nor did she hate anyone for what had happened.

"Dr Bottrill made a mistake, but it is not just him that I blame.

"The health authorities paid him but failed to check that he was doing a good job ... I want an assurance this will never happen again."

Another woman, Eleanor Vertongen, previously known in news reports as Jane, is expecting her fifth child but has been told the pregnancy will be complicated because part of her cervix was removed during a cone biopsy operation.

"I know what I have been through is not as bad as a lot of other women ...

"Some Maori women I know have not done anything about their results ... These women put a blanket over their heads and wait to die."

The hearings were due to finish last week, but Health Minister Annette King agreed to a three-week extension when it became clear witnesses might have to be missed out.

The panel will now finish hearing witnesses this week before reconvening in September for closing submissions.

It must report by December 20.