Government must take charge of CHI shambles
Government must take charge of CHI shambles - The Labour Party
In Leaders’ Questions today, Labour Leader Ivana Bacik TD repeated her Party’s calls on the Government to place Children’s Health Ireland under the direct control of the HSE.
Deputy Bacik said,
“The controversy surrounding Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) has somehow managed to snowball yet again over the weekend. Instead of focusing on providing excellent care to Ireland’s youngest and most vulnerable citizens, CHI is apparently preoccupied itself with concealing a string of failures.
“The litany of failures are shocking: failures to provide decent, or even adequate, medical care for sick children; the use of non-surgical springs in children’s surgery; the horrific carrying out of unnecessary pelvic bone operations on children; a bitter and toxic internal culture within CHI.
“What is most important here is that the children and families at the centre of this see accountability and justice for the failings of the past. Sick children deserve to know that they will receive the highest standard of care. Their parents and guardians need to be confident that, where something goes wrong, they will be dealt with honestly and eagerly. The three resignations from the board today have cast further doubt over CHI’s capacity to steady the boat. It all begs the question: what on earth is going on in CHI? More pertinently, who is going to take charge?
“I have echoed the calls of my colleague and Labour’s Health spokesperson Marie Sherlock TD. As she says, CHI must now come under the direct control and oversight of the HSE. Until that happens, it is very hard to see accountability.
“We know that the previous Minister for Health sought legal advice on whether the State possessed the necessary powers to take over the running of children’s hospital services in Dublin. He reportedly sought that advice due to his concerns over the multiplicity of issues then besetting CHI. The case for direct supervision is even stronger now.
“Minister Carroll MacNeill must clarify if she has the power to bring to an end this ridiculous situation whereby the HSE is answering questions about scandals for which it does not have direct responsibility. The ball is in her park and in that of the Taoiseach.”