Latest news with #BernardGloster
Irish Independent
10 hours ago
- General
- Irish Independent
Louth families affected by children's hip operation scandal have ‘been through hell'
The Sinn Féin TD raised the children's cases during a debate in the Dáil about the Independent External Medical Audit for Children's Health Ireland and National Orthopaedic Hospital Cappagh. Deputy Ó Murchú said the families and their children 'had been through hell'. The first case he highlighted was one where two of the mother's three children had hip operations, while the third is awaiting surgery. The children are aged five years, three years and 18 months and the mum has secured a review by a consultant in the North, costing more than €700. She wants it done, because she wants to know whether the youngest child actually needs the operation and whether her other children's surgery was necessary, but she cannot afford it. Deputy Ó Murchú said the boss of the HSE, Bernard Gloster had indicated that those who want a third party second opinion could get one and it would be paid for by the HSE, but no mechanism has yet been put in place for that to happen, despite the fact that his constituent has an appointment for June 10. He said another mother living in mid-Louth spoke to him about her child who was three years old when she had surgery in 2023. Deputy Ó Murchú said: 'She now looks at the scars on her daughter and cries because she is worried that they are the marks of needless suffering. 'Hers was one of the families that received a letter earlier in the year telling her that her daughter was one of the children reviewed in the audit. She is now struggling to come to terms with what has happened and what is going to happen. 'She has asked for a mechanism for getting her daughter's medical records. We need to provide this information. She does not know what percentage her daughter falls into. We need that information and follow-up'. The case of a third family, whose child was scheduled for surgery and who sought a second opinion before the operation which showed she did not need it, is now doing gymnastics. He said: 'We need such cases to be included in a review-type process also'. Minister Jennifer Carroll McNeill said in response to Deputy Ó Murchú about the HSE paying for third party second opinions, that she would work with the HSE on the matter.
Irish Independent
11 hours ago
- General
- Irish Independent
Louth families affected by hip operation scandal have 'been through hell'
The Sinn Féin TD raised the children's cases during a debate in the Dáil about the Independent External Medical Audit for Children's Health Ireland and National Orthopaedic Hospital Cappagh. Deputy Ó Murchú said the families and their children 'had been through hell'. The first case he highlighted was one where two of the mother's three children had hip operations, while the third is awaiting surgery. The children are aged five years, three years and 18 months and the mum has secured a review by a consultant in the North, costing more than €700. She wants it done, because she wants to know whether the youngest child actually needs the operation and whether her other children's surgery was necessary, but she cannot afford it. Deputy Ó Murchú said the boss of the HSE, Bernard Gloster had indicated that those who want a third party second opinion could get one and it would be paid for by the HSE, but no mechanism has yet been put in place for that to happen, despite the fact that his constituent has an appointment for June 10. He said another mother living in mid-Louth spoke to him about her child who was three years old when she had surgery in 2023. Deputy Ó Murchú said: 'She now looks at the scars on her daughter and cries because she is worried that they are the marks of needless suffering. 'Hers was one of the families that received a letter earlier in the year telling her that her daughter was one of the children reviewed in the audit. She is now struggling to come to terms with what has happened and what is going to happen. 'She has asked for a mechanism for getting her daughter's medical records. We need to provide this information. She does not know what percentage her daughter falls into. We need that information and follow-up'. The case of a third family, whose child was scheduled for surgery and who sought a second opinion before the operation which showed she did not need it, is now doing gymnastics. He said: 'We need such cases to be included in a review-type process also'. Minister Jennifer Carroll McNeill said in response to Deputy Ó Murchú about the HSE paying for third party second opinions, that she would work with the HSE on the matter.
Irish Times
27-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Times
CHI consultant who allegedly breached patient-referral guidelines faced no disciplinary action
A consultant working at Children's Health Ireland (CHI) who was at the centre of an internal review for allegedly referring public patients to his own weekend clinic did not face disciplinary action, The Irish Times has learned. The consultant instead retired, after the investigation highlighted issues around governance and adherence to correct procedures in a children's hospital. According to the unpublished findings of the investigation, reported by the Sunday Times, the consultant breached HSE guidelines by referring patients he was seeing in his public practice to weekend clinics he was operating separately. This decision delayed operations for sick children by up to three years, the newspaper reported, with the funding for some of these clinics coming from the National treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF), which seeks to reduce hospital waiting lists. READ MORE However, it is understood the clinician did not face disciplinary proceedings, nor was he referred to the Irish Medical Council. He no longer works for CHI. Legal advice is currently being sought about the publication of the report, which Bernard Gloster , chief executive of the HSE, has called for. [ Health staff found 'ingratiating themselves financially' will be referred to gardaí, HSE chief says Opens in new window ] Mr Gloster said he was unaware of the situation before the media reports, and has requested a copy of the report from the new CHI chief executive, Lucy Nugent. 'I assure you if anything connected with, or near connected with alleged people ingratiating themselves financially in the public health system, the first step I'll be taking is to refer that matter to the gardaí,' he told RTÉ on Sunday. In a statement, a spokeswoman for CHI said the organisation 'regularly' conducts internal reviews 'to ensure any issues are identified and addresses across our services'. 'CHI is a learning organisation and service improvements through internal reviews and clinical audits, which are an essential tool to support this, will continue to be a priority,' the spokeswoman said. 'This internal review report from 2021 included recommendations, which at the time were accepted, implemented and continue to be implemented.' In a statement, the NTPF said it is 'deeply concerned' by the reports around the internal investigation, but added that payments are only made to hospitals directly and never to individual consultants. The NTPF said it is liaising closely with the Department of Health , the HSE and the CHI on the matter. A spokeswoman for Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said she recognises this story will 'cause further distress for parents and families'. 'The Department of Health is not routinely notified of internal examinations within acute hospitals, and no such notification was made in this case under existing patient safety protocols,' she said. 'The Minister continues to engage with officials in her department and the HSE on this matter.' The revelation is the latest in a number of controversies facing CHI, which was established in January 2019 as a new entity to govern and deliver acute paediatric services and which currently operates hospitals in Crumlin, Temple Street and Tallaght. On Friday, the HSE published an audit on developmental dysplasia of the hip surgeries, which found almost 70 per cent of these procedures carried out in two hospitals – Temple Street and the National Orthopaedic Hospital Cappagh – over a three-year period were not necessary . [ Opinion: Hip surgery audit: How many more times will we hear 'this can never happen again'? Opens in new window ] [ Spinal surgeries report: The story behind the springs used on children Opens in new window ] Last month, the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) published a report on the implantation of unlicensed springs into three children with scoliosis, which described the situation as 'wrong'. Another report, by UK expert Selvadurai Nayagam, is also being conducted into orthopaedic surgery at Temple Street following reports of poor surgical outcomes. Senior health sources have said there is a 'serious lack of confidence' in CHI following these issues, with discussions currently centring around how it should operate in the future, and whether it should be subsumed back under the HSE.
Irish Daily Mirror
26-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Daily Mirror
HSE boss 'shocked' by claims of consultant misuse of waiting list system
The head of the HSE has expressed concern at claims a consultant misused the state's waiting list system, resulting in delayed operations for sick children. Bernard Gloster was responding to a report in the Sunday Times that a consultant breached HSE guidelines by referring patients he was seeing in his public practice to his weekend private clinics, rather than securing earlier treatment for them by referring them to HSE colleagues. The newspaper said the consultant was paid thousands of euros through the state's National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF), which pays private practices to treat patients on public waiting lists. According to the report, the details were uncovered by an internal investigation by Children's Health Ireland (CHI). Mr Gloster said if there was any evidence of misuse of public funds he would refer the matter to the gardai. The HSE chief executive said he had been unaware of the CHI internal investigation. "The content of it is absolutely shocking," he told RTE's This Week programme on Sunday. "Secondly, I'm even more shocked because nobody has told me about it, and in the light of everything we were doing in the last number of months with CHI, I'm just quite shocked. "And, in fairness to the new CEO (CHI chief executive Lucy Nugent), that's not her fault – I'm not sure how much she has been told. I did speak to her briefly today. "I believe a number of the issues around culture and other stuff that went on there were addressed, because the report was about more than that. "But I want to be very clear, I've asked for a copy of the report myself, I have said to the CEO of CHI that I expect her and her board – other than or save for highly personal information – that that report should be published in the public interest. "And I have made it clear that I reserve my position based on what I see in that report as to whether or not further questions arise and if any question arises, can I assure you, of anything connected with, or near connected with, alleged people ingratiating themselves financially in the public health system, the first step I'll be taking is to refer that matter to the gardai."
Belfast Telegraph
25-05-2025
- Health
- Belfast Telegraph
Gloster ‘shocked' by claims of consultant misuse of waiting list system
Bernard Gloster was responding to a report in the Sunday Times that a consultant breached HSE guidelines by referring patients he was seeing in his public practice to his weekend private clinics, rather than securing earlier treatment for them by referring them to HSE colleagues. The newspaper said the consultant was paid thousands of euros through the state's National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF), which pays private practices to treat patients on public waiting lists. According to the report, the details were uncovered by an internal investigation by Children's Health Ireland (CHI). Mr Gloster said if there was any evidence of misuse of public funds he would refer the matter to the gardai. The HSE chief executive said he had been unaware of the CHI internal investigation. 'The content of it is absolutely shocking,' he told RTE's This Week programme on Sunday. 'Secondly, I'm even more shocked because nobody has told me about it, and in the light of everything we were doing in the last number of months with CHI, I'm just quite shocked. 'And, in fairness to the new CEO (CHI chief executive Lucy Nugent), that's not her fault – I'm not sure how much she has been told. I did speak to her briefly today. 'I believe a number of the issues around culture and other stuff that went on there were addressed, because the report was about more than that. 'But I want to be very clear, I've asked for a copy of the report myself, I have said to the CEO of CHI that I expect her and her board – other than or save for highly personal information – that that report should be published in the public interest. 'And I have made it clear that I reserve my position based on what I see in that report as to whether or not further questions arise and if any question arises, can I assure you, of anything connected with, or near connected with, alleged people ingratiating themselves financially in the public health system, the first step I'll be taking is to refer that matter to the gardai.'
