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The Journal
5 days ago
- Health
- The Journal
Children's Health Ireland to be called back before Public Accounts Committee
THE PUBLIC ACCOUNTS Committee is to recall Children's Health Ireland (CHI) and the HSE to appear before it. The PAC has also called for the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) to appear before it. CHI last appeared before the committee last week alongside the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board to give an update on progress on the construction of the National Children's Hospital. Sinn Féin TD John Brady, who chairs the PAC, said the recall comes following reports that a CHI consultant allegedly referred patients he was seeing in his public practice to weekend clinics that he was operating separately. The Sunday Times reported last week on unpublished findings that the consultant breached HSE guidelines with these referrals. The consultant was paid €35,800 via the National Treatment Purchase Fund, which aims to cut waiting times by paying private practices to treat patients on public waiting lists. However, a 2021 inquiry found the patients selected had not waited longest, and so did not qualify for the consultant's appointments. Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said she received the report at 3.30pm on Monday, and that it is very serious. Speaking on radio earlier this week, she said she is working out the 'legal parameters around publishing the report', adding that she does feel it is important that it is published. Advertisement Sinn Féin TD John Brady, who chairs the committee, said it has asked CHI and the HSE to appear before it. In a statement this afternoon, Brady said the public 'has a right to expect accountability at every level of our health system, especially where public money and patient care are concerned'. 'This is not just about one consultant – it is about the systems and oversight mechanisms that allowed this to happen,' the PAC chair said. Children's Health Ireland has been in charge of children's health services in Ireland since 2019. It has been scandal hit over the last year, over the use of unauthorised implants in children's spinal surgeries, and unwarranted hip surgeries being carried out on children, which was initially reported by The Ditch. An independent review published last Friday established 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 surgeries fell under the criteria. Following its findings, CHI CEO Lucy Nugent apologised to impacted families who were not offered a 'consistent and excellent standard of care'. Three members of the CHI board resigned from their positions following the release of the review into hip surgeries. This evening, the Health Minister announced that she has appointed Dr Yvonne Traynor and Anne Carrigy to the CHI board. 'The strengthening of governance and oversight at CHI will further support the extensive transformation programme, led by CHI CEO Lucy Nugent and her team, as we move to open the state-of-art Children's Hospital which will be Ireland's first digital public hospital,' Carroll MacNeill said. She said that further appointments relating to vacancies on the board will be made in due course. 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
Irish Times
5 days ago
- General
- Irish Times
Two new appointments to Children's Health Ireland board after five resignations
The Minister for Health has appointed Dr Yvonne Traynor and Anne Carrigy to the board of Children's Health Ireland (CHI). The body, which operates paediatric healthcare in the State, has faced significant upheaval after four board members resigned over the past week. The board's chairman, Jim Browne, resigned last month. The resignations followed two reviews that highlighted issues within the group's paediatric orthopaedic units. One focused on three children with scoliosis who were implanted with non-surgical springs, while the other found the vast majority of surgeries for developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) in two hospitals were unnecessary. [ CHI consultant who allegedly referred public patients to his own weekend clinic faced no disciplinary action Opens in new window ] Another report, by UK expert Selvadurai Nayagam, into paediatric orthopaedic surgery services is ongoing. READ MORE Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill announced she would appoint two members of the HSE's board to the CHI board in a bid to strengthen governance and oversight in the organisation. The Minister said the appointments will 'further support the extensive transformation programme, led by CHI chief executive Lucy Nugent and her team, as we move to open the state-of-the-art children's hospital which will be Ireland's first digital public hospital'. Dr Traynor, who has been a HSE board member since 2019, was vice-president of regulatory and scientific affairs with Kerry Group. Before that, she held global and regional leadership positions with German consumer goods company, Henkel. [ Numbers working on children's hospital project dropped by third since January, politicians hear Opens in new window ] Ms Carrigy, who joined the HSE board in March 2021, previously worked as director of the HSE's serious incident management team. She later became the national lead of acute hospital services. Further appointments to fill vacancies on the CHI board will be made in due course, the Department of Health said. The Irish Times reported earlier this week that the Minister is considering subsuming CHI into the HSE following the recent controversies.
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.
BreakingNews.ie
25-05-2025
- Health
- BreakingNews.ie
Gloster ‘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. Advertisement 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. Advertisement 'The content of it is absolutely shocking,' he told RTÉ'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. Advertisement '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.'
Irish Times
25-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Times
Health staff found ‘ingratiating themselves financially' will be referred to gardaí, HSE chief says
If people working in the public health system are 'ingratiating themselves financially' they will be referred to An Garda Síochána , the HSE 's chief executive has said. Bernard Gloster said on Sunday that nobody had told him about an internal investigation at Children's Health Ireland (CHI) which allegedly found a consultant abused the State's waiting system while also delaying operations for sick children up to three years. The Sunday Times reported that according to the unpublished findings, the consultant breached HSE guidelines by referring patients he was seeing in his public practice to weekend clinics he was operating separately. Speaking on RTÉ Radio 1's This Week programme, Mr Gloster said what was being reported was 'absolutely shocking'. READ MORE 'I'm even more shocked because nobody has told me about it and, in light of everything we were doing in the last number of months for CHI, I'm just quite shocked.' Mr Gloster said he had spoken to the CHI chief executive Lucy Nugent and has asked for a copy of the report, which 'save for highly personal information . . . should be published in the public interest'. '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, 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 said. Separately, Mr Gloster said Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill was considering 'all of the issues' associated with the delivery and governance of children's healthcare in the State. He said the option of subsuming CHI back into the HSE 'has to be' one of the moves considered. CHI was established in January 2019 as a new entity to govern and deliver acute paediatric services and currently operates hospitals in Crumlin, Temple Street and Tallaght. An independent audit published this week found that almost 500 children who underwent hip operations in two hospitals should be recalled, as close to 70 per cent of the sample examined were not necessary . One child who received surgery for developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH), despite not meeting the criteria for the procedure, experienced an 'adverse outcome' from the operation, the audit said. [ 'A national scandal': Answers demanded after audit highlights over 100 unnecessary hip surgeries on children Opens in new window ] CHI and the National Orthopaedic Hospital Cappagh (NOHC) last July announced a joint clinical audit to examine a random and anonymised sample of 147 DDH surgeries performed between 2021 and 2023. The move was prompted following a protected disclosure, which raised concerns that CHI at Crumlin and Temple Street and NOHC may have used differing criteria to determine whether the surgery was required. Mr Gloster said there was no doubt the scale of variance the audit found was 'of significant concern'. He said there would be further inquiries which would be beneficial to children and their families. He said he wanted to apologise to parents because of the concern they have due to 'something that's happening in the health service'. In relation to the surgeons involved, Mr Gloster said he was not the employer as CHI and Cappagh hospital are 'separate institutions under separate statute'. However, he said the 'question of accountability cannot be taken off the table'. 'The audit itself would not be one which would ground or be grounding evidence to conclude that question, it is only after further inquiry that that could be fully assessed or not,' he said. 'So to be fair to individuals, we do have to be careful not to be precipitous in that regard. But it is a question that I want to be clear, that based on the level of extreme variation here, it is a question that has to be kept on the table until such time as we have a full view.'
