Rebecca O'Malley, a woman who was wrongly given the all clear for breast cancer, has received an award at the Irish Healthcare Innovation Awards in Dublin this evening.
Stephen McMahon of the Irish Patients Association, who was one of the judges, said that Ms O'Malley had become 'a household name for patient empowerment through her tenacity, courage and maturity'.
Mr McMahon said she and her husband, Tony, had highlighted the vulnerability and frailty of patients when exposed to human or systematic error.
'Rebecca at cost to herself is a patient champion who encapsulates the values that it is human to err but unforgivable not to listen, learn and importantly change the way we do things,' he said.
RTÉ's Health Correspondent Fergal Bowers was awarded the Healthcare Journalist of the Year at the Irish Healthcare Innovation Awards.
The organisers said the award, whose nominees came from media employers and fellow journalists, honoured and recognised 'thought leadership, impartiality, focus and dedication to patient interest and general journalistic contribution to the sector over the years'.
Other finalists were Niall Hunter of Irishhealth.com and Eithne Donnellan of The Irish Times.
The awards form part of the Private Healthcare Conference being held in Dublin.
