The Canadian Cancer Society's Peter Dawe says he does not take harsh comments in internal Eastern Health e-mails personally. (CBC)

Newfoundland and Labrador's largest health authority still has much work to do to restore the public's trust, a leading advocate for cancer patients says.

Peter Dawe, executive director of the Canadian Cancer Society's provincial division, was the subject of scathing descriptions in internal Eastern Health memos that have been the subject of testimony this week at the Cameron inquiry, which is examining flawed medical tests involving hundreds of breast cancer patients.

On Monday, former communications director Susan Bonnell said her words — including describing Dawe as a rabble-rouser who concocted "fear and anxiety" and then blamed Eastern Health for it — were written in anger and did not reflect her views.

Dawe, who sat in the audience while Bonnell explained why she also described Dawe and other individuals as "schoolyard bullies," said he was not bothered by the fact that Bonnell stopped short of apologizing to him and to others.

Dawe said he is much more concerned about ongoing problems at Eastern Health with notifying and contacting patients about the flawed medical tests.

"You can only judge an organization from its actions, from its behaviours, not from what any one particular person says," Dawe said.

"If you're judging it from its actions, then, you know, they still have a ways to go."

'Circle-the-wagons, defensive mentality'

Eastern Health recently sent by registered mail letters of apology for mistakes in the standards of care that the authority provided to its patients. However, some patients received letters addressed to others, and at least one letter was addressed to a patient who died two years ago.

Susan Bonnell said she was embarrassed about comments she made about Peter Dawe and other advocates in e-mails that she thought would remain private. (CBC)

Dawe said he did not take Bonnell's remarks personally, but said they show insight into how Eastern Health was functioning during a time of crisis.

"It's indicative of a circle-the-wagons, defensive mentality that Eastern Health showed throughout this whole tragedy," Dawe said.

The inquiry, led by Justice Margaret Cameron, is examining how an Eastern Health lab produced wrong results on estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor tests between 1997 and 2005. The tests are used to help determine whether a breast cancer patient can benefit from the potent antihormonal therapy Tamoxifen.

In March, the Newfoundland and Labrador government revealed that 383 patients had been given inaccurate results from the hormone receptor tests. By that time, 108 patients had died, although it is not clear how many of them may have had different outcomes with a different treatment.

Patient described Eastern Health as 'deceiving'

Meanwhile, during cross-examination on Monday, St. John's lawyer Ches Crosbie took Bonnell through previous testimony from breast cancer patients, one of whom described Eastern Health's communications practices as "unprofessional, very sneaking [and] deceiving."

Bonnell, who was transferred in February to a post responsible only for internal communications, said she takes the criticism to heart.

"I take personal responsibility for that insofar as I can," she said.

"I've heard many of these comments, that they felt that they were deceived, they felt that they couldn't trust the organization. And I think that's unfortunate and it makes me feel sad."

On Tuesday, Canadian Cancer Society lawyer Jennifer Newbury challenged Bonnell's comments during cross-examination.

When Bonnell said that Eastern Health viewed the Canadian Cancer Society, and Dawe in particular, as having important perspectives, Newbury challenged her.

"Can you explain why there are not e-mails or other documentation to show that … there were actually steps taken by the communications department to say, 'Listen, we really need to find out what the Canadian Cancer Society is concerned about [or] what they are hearing from their patients?'" Newbury asked.

"No, I can't show you e-mails to say that," Bonnell replied.

Meanwhile, the inquiry also heard more about how Eastern Health was caught off guard by the unfolding breast cancer testing crisis.

On Monday, Bonnell told Newbury that the issue "just evolved and evolved and evolved" without the authority having a plan to guide officials on communicating with patients and the public.

"When I was asked to pull the materials for the commission of inquiry, I was surprised to see that I had not done a strategic plan," Bonnell testified.