The IPU was deeply saddened by the passing of Dr Sarah Fitzgibbons. Dr Fitzgibbons was the Primary Care Clinical Advisor at the HSE’s National Screening Service and recently contributed an article to the September issue of the IPU Review on HSE BowelScreen and community pharmacies.

Dr Fitzgibbons was a founder of the Women in Medicine in Ireland Network (WiMIN) in 2017 and served as Chair until the end of 2025. The network supports, encourages and advocates for women in medicine in Ireland. She was a longstanding columnist with the Medical Independent (MI), chronicling her experience of stage 4 bowel cancer and wrote a personal blog, Adventures of a Sick Doctor, which she began after her cancer diagnosis in 2014 at the age of 37.

IPU Secretary General Clare Fitzell said, “we were deeply saddened to hear of Dr Fitzgibbon’s passing, and our thoughts are with her family at this sad time. Throughout her own battle with cancer, she worked tirelessly to raise awareness of screening, and has no doubt helped many others through her work.” Ar dheis Dé go raibh a hanam.