Serious concerns about commitment to transparency and delivery from Minister for Health and HSE on CHI
Serious concerns about commitment to transparency and delivery from Minister for Health and HSE on CHI - The Labour Party
- Families at the heart of CHI failures feel in the dark as Nayagam has yet to engage with families.
- No progress from Minister of Health on a mediator and terms of reference for public inquiry three months after commitment.
- Only 12 out of 19 crucial recommendations implemented from HIQA report designed.
Labour Health spokesperson Marie Sherlock TD has said that families at heart of the CHI failures are been badly let down by the vacuum of information surrounding the Nayagam review, the commitment to the public inquiry and the future care of their children in CHI.
Deputy Sherlock said:
“Families have anxiously waited over two years for this day and I know number of the families are frustrated and feel left in the dark as they have yet to engage directly with Nayagam. Due process and legal concerns should not trump basic and initial engagement with families. There is a strong chance that the final report may not be made available for many months to come, so it is vital that the HSE ensures some engagement becomes possible.
“The call back of 62 patients from the first part of the Nayagam review speaks volumes about the concerns the HSE has for the previous care for these patients. These reviews need to happen as soon as possible.
“Crucially families need to be assured that the CHI and the HSE are not waiting for the Nayagam review to transform the very serious systemic and cultural failings in CHI.
“We learned today 10 months on from the publication of a HIQA report into the unauthorised use of unregulated springs in surgery undertaken in Temple Street, only 12 of the 19 detailed recommendations have been implemented. This simply isn’t good enough. These recommendations are critical to actually address and transform the very serious failings within CHI.
“That report painted a stark picture of very poor culture of management, over-stretched and, at times, non-existent systems of oversight. Far too many children have been caught up in the systems failure across CHI – caught in the crosswire of a lack of governance, poor management and an awful work culture.
“The Minister of Health needs to make clear her intentions with the State inquiry – it is 13 weeks since we had that momentous announcement and since there has been zero progress; no mediator and no terms of reference. The clock is ticking on the 16 week deadline for this. Far too many families have had to listen to smooth talk but have experienced too little action over the past number of years.
“Much work remains to be done so that the public and parents can have faith in the level of care our children are receiving. We need to hear from the Minister about what is going on, who is in charge of taking real action for families and children and how can families be certain that we will never see the likes of this again. For the families’ sake, there needs to be an end to the opacity and much greater transparency about the past and future care of their children.”