Latest news with #Gloster
Extra.ie
3 days ago
- Health
- Extra.ie
HSE boss says he was 'shocked' by revelation of misuse of public money
HSE boss Bernard was warned two years ago about alleged abuses of the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) – despite saying this week he was 'shocked' at revelations that a consultant in a children's hospital was using the body, set up to reduce waiting times, to top up his salary. The revelation comes amid growing concern at the highest levels of Government that the NTPF is being used to line consultants' pockets. has learned that the head of the country's health services was contacted by a concerned senior hospital employee in June 2023 about the alleged misuse of public money. Pic: Gareth Chaney/Collins The whistleblower claimed the NTPF was being used to pay private doctors as much as 20 times more in fees than it cost to pay HSE staff who had previously been working their way through the waiting lists. They told the HSE chief: 'The [hospital] management continues to run a very expensive NTPF service using its own HSE staff to process referrals and a private tele radiology company to report them. I am very suspicious of where this NTPF money is going because of the way they are protecting this service.' Mr Gloster, who recently announced that he will step down as chief executive of the health service next March, responded, saying: 'I have noted the concerns and wish to enquire further into them.' Pic: Sam Boal/ Last week, in an interview on RTÉ's This Week programme, Mr Gloster said he was 'shocked' after it emerged in an unpublished internal Children's Health Ireland (CHI) report that the NTPF was being abused by a hospital consult ant to top up his salary with payments worth a total of €38,800. He also said he would report any misuse of public funds to gardaí. Mr Gloster told the programme: 'I assure you, if anything connected with or nearconnected with alleged people ingratiating themselves financially in the pub lic health system, the first step I'll be taking is I'll be referring that matter to the gardaí.' Pic: Leah Farrell/ However, despite promising to 'enquire further' into the June 2023 allegations that the NTPF was being abused for financial gain, the whistleblower did not receive a response from Mr Gloster. The HSE boss declined to confirm if he alerted gardaí to the whistle blower's allegations. A spokeswoman would only say: 'The CEO engages with people who raise concerns about the HSE directly with him, and delegates to the most appropriate staff member for further action where warranted.' Jennifer Carroll MacNeill Pic: Collins Courts The latest revelations will come as an embarrassment to Mr Gloster after Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill publicly said she is considering subsuming CHI into the HSE. A senior Cabinet colleague of Ms Carroll MacNeill last night said there is growing political concern about wider abuses of the NTPF. They told 'You always like to think that you can trust that your doctor has your best interest at heart. Health Service Executive (HSE). Pic: File 'It would appear that there are instances of doctors delaying the treatment of patients in the public system so they can make more money in their private practice at weekends. 'Even more gratuitously, they are abusing a Statefunded scheme as fewer questions are asked by the NTPF than health insurers. 'And with further revelations that this may be widespread in the health service, then we have a seri ous threat of a failure of trust in the system. I'm sure Jennifer Carroll MacNeill will listen to the urgings of her colleagues to get to the bottom of this immediately.' Jennifer Carroll MacNeill. Pic: Fran Veale CHI has been plagued by a string of controversies since it was established by then-Health Minister Simon Harris in 2019. The now-Tánaiste said at the time: 'This is an extraordinary opportunity to transform paediat ric services for children in Ireland and will improve the experience and outcomes for children and their families.' Four CHI board members resigned over the past week following successive controver sies, including the implantation of unapproved springs into children with scoliosis and the carrying out of unnecessary hip surgeries on children. Tánaiste Simon Harris. Pic:But senior political leaders are even more concerned about the latest scandal involving abuses of the NTPF. One minister said: 'Ultimately, the revelations about spinal springs and hip surgeries for children were not about fraudulent behaviour. There are many reasons that a doctor could participate in these irregular treatments, but we would always like to think they were done with their understanding of the welfare of the patient at the forefront. 'Incompetence could be at play, but it could also be down to doctors or a hospital culture failing to keep up with rapid progressions in medical care and/or best practice. That is not good either, but it's not wilful.' The internal CHI report revealed that a consultant working at a children's hospital broke rules by diverting patients on his waiting list to his own private clinic. It is believed the consultant was already earning in the region of €250,000 a year. Despite this, the report found he abused the NTPF to allow some of his patients to jump the queue ahead of others with more urgent health needs. In addition, some of those diverted to his private practice were selected ahead of those waiting longer for care. The consultant at the centre of the controversy retired after the report was commissioned. The Department of Health and the HSE were unaware of the existence of this CHI report until last weekend. Mr Gloster said of the report: 'It is absolutely shocking and… I am 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 am quite shocked. 'I have 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 saving for highly personal information, 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.' However, it appears abuse of the NTPF is more widespread and extends beyond a single consult ant. In the June 2023 email sent to Mr Gloster, a whistleblower described how the NTPF – set up to cut waiting lists by paying for public patients to be treated pri vately – was also allegedly abused at another public hospital. They made a series of serious allegations relating to the misuse of public money, including claims: A private company was hired at a cost of €200 per patient under the NTPF scheme to do scans, replacing an earlier system to clear waiting lists at a fraction of the cost, under which HSE staff were paid just €10 per patient. These scans were done out of hours by HSE staff. The private company hired to conduct the scans under the NTPF was permitted to use limited resources in a public hospital. A source familiar with alleged abuses in the health service this weekend said it is clear that some consultants are using the NTPF to treat their private patients. They told 'Normally, when someone who has private health insurance is recommended to have surgery by their consultant, their health insurance company will ask the consultant why the surgery is needed. The consultant will have to justify why the operation is needed. But consultants can avoid these questions if they use the NTPF. 'I know of people with private health insurance who were told by their consultant, 'Oh, you don't have to pay anything. You only have to pay for the consultation and maybe €80 for the surgery.' And the surgery went ahead. 'That is why there have been cases where patients were given surgery they did not really need and why some were given treatment ahead of others.' The HSE has been requested by Ms Carroll MacNeill to conduct an audit of how the NTPF funding is utilised. Around €300m is spent every year to help public patients get treatment sooner. The money is allocated under various funds. One of these is the NTPF scheme, while a separate 'blitz' fund pays HSE staff to work through waiting lists over the weekends and during time off. However, Sinn Féin health spokesman David Cullinane yesterday claimed the schemes are being abused because there are not enough checks and balances to ensure the money is spent wisely. The Waterford TD told 'There is a perverse incentive for consultants to delay care for patients to essentially treat them at weekends and profit from it, but obviously that needs to stop. 'There has to be transparency and better management of conflicts of interest. There has to be full disclosure in relation to any application for funding to the NTPF in relation to procedures – who requested the procedure be carried out, and then who is going to carry out the procedure? 'Hundreds of millions is available for waiting list initiatives, but we have to make sure the money is spent appropriately and that there is no misuse of waiting lists.' The Department of Health yesterday confirmed Mr Gloster, 'at the request of the Minister for Health, has initiated a detailed survey of all in-sourcing activity within the HSE, which will be assisted by Finance, Internal Audit, HR and Access/Integration functions. In-sourcing can be funded either directly by the HSE/ hospital concerned, or by the NTPF.' A spokeswoman said Ms Carroll MacNeill 'has sought legal advice on the publication' of the internal CHI report, and 'this advice is currently under consideration'.
Business Standard
5 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
Gloster reports consolidated net loss of Rs 2.32 crore in the March 2025 quarter
Sales rise 50.47% to Rs 278.34 crore Net loss of Gloster reported to Rs 2.32 crore in the quarter ended March 2025 as against net profit of Rs 7.68 crore during the previous quarter ended March 2024. Sales rose 50.47% to Rs 278.34 crore in the quarter ended March 2025 as against Rs 184.98 crore during the previous quarter ended March 2024. For the full year,net loss reported to Rs 13.35 crore in the year ended March 2025 as against net profit of Rs 24.35 crore during the previous year ended March 2024. Sales rose 13.67% to Rs 734.78 crore in the year ended March 2025 as against Rs 646.40 crore during the previous year ended March 2024. Particulars Quarter Ended Year Ended Mar. 2025 Mar. 2024 % Var. Mar. 2025 Mar. 2024 % Var. Sales 278.34184.98 50 734.78646.40 14 OPM % 5.1810.88 - 6.3310.04 - PBDT 14.2521.32 -33 48.5476.16 -36 PBT 1.8411.42 -84 -1.2137.81 PL NP -2.327.68 PL -13.3524.35 PL
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.'
The Journal
25-05-2025
- Health
- The Journal
Over 2,200 children who received hip surgery over 15-year period will be ‘clinically reviewed'
THE CEO OF the HSE has said that the more than 2,200 children who received hip surgery over a 15-year period will be 'clinically reviewed'. An independent review into hip surgeries in children who had developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) surgery was announced last year and published earlier this week. An anonymised sample of the hip surgeries, between 2021 and 2023, had been undertaken into operations that took place at CHI hospital sites, as well as the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Cappagh. The audit found that a lower threshold was used by surgeons in Temple Street and Cappagh Hospital, though this issue wasn't identified in CHI Crumlin, which was also examined in the audit. The independent expert found that in Temple Street roughly 40% of the surgeries the audit reviewed were indicated to have met the criteria; in Cappagh 21% were indicated, and in Crumlin virtually all of the surgeries fell under the criteria. Speaking on RTÉ's This Week, HSE CEO Bernard Gloster acknowledged that a 'level of anxiety and concern will prevail for some time' following the independent audit. When asked why a lower threshold was applied in Temple Street and Cappagh Hospital, Gloster said this was a 'novel procedure where the belief was that the surgical intervention at an earlier stage would prevent significant problems later'. He added: 'Novel procedures, when they're adopted, must be done in the strictest of conditions, with appropriate follow-up and with published papers that are peer reviewed. 'Unfortunately, in this case, the extreme nature of the variance and the rationale offered by some of the surgeons was not found to be reasonable by the auditor.' Gloster said that while the auditor was looking at a three-year period, the HSE will go 'right back to 2010 when this novel procedure first came about'. He added that the 'most important thing is that these children are followed up'. 'So there is quite a bit of work to be done,' said Gloster, 'but all 2,259 children comprehended by the issues raised in this audit will be followed up comprehensively. 'Then there will be further expert assessment as to whether or not the surgery was actually indicated as necessary in each individual child's case.' He said each child will be 'clinically reviewed to establish how they are now' to establish 'whether or not child has any difficulties today'. Advertisement 'The second part that will happen will be conducted by experts and that will involve an option for parents to have a specific examination to make a definitive assessment; was the surgery necessary in their child's case or not, and whether or not there was any consequential impact resulting from that.' He also noted that the HSE will commission to 'expert analysis' and that if parent's wish to avail of their own second opinion, the HSE will 'assist them with that and fund the cost'. All 2,259 will begin to receive further correspondence next week and Gloster said this needs to be 'speedy but also accurate'. He said the clinical reviews will take around six months to complete. The audit was commissioned after whistleblower revelations and Gloster said he is 'delighted that when the whistleblower expressed the concern, the CHI took the decision to conduct this audit'. 'That does give me some sense of hope in the midst of this most concerning situation.' When asked if subsuming CHI back into the HSE is being considered, Gloster said 'all of the options are being considered' but that this is not the only option on the table. Meanwhile, Gloster was asked about reports that an internal investigation at CHI found that a consultant abused the waiting list system while also delaying operations for sick children up to three years. The Sunday Times today reported on unpublished findings which found a consultant breached HSE guidelines by referring patients he was seeing in his public practice to weekend clinics that he was operating separately. The consultant was paid €35,800 via the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF), which aims to cut waiting times by paying private practices to treat patients on public waiting lists. However, the Sunday Times reports that a 2021 inquiry found the patients selected had not waited longest, and so did not qualify for the consultant's appointments. Gloster said he was 'shocked' by the report and 'even more shocked because nobody has told me about it'. Lucy Nugent was appointed as the new CEO of CHI in November and Gloster remarked: '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.' Gloster said the report 'should be published in the public interest'. 'If any question arises 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 gardaí.' Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
