Whistleblower nurse told she would lose home

THE NURSE who tried to bring complaints about Drogheda consultant Michael Shine to the attention of the authorities was warned she would lose her home and reputation if she persisted with her action.

The whistleblower, who worked with the doctor at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, was first made aware of allegations about him in 1994 when she was approached by a male patient who confided in her about events he said happened some years previously.

As the man had made a complaint to the gardaí, the nurse, who has not been identified, presumed the hospital would be notified but after several months, when it was clear there had been no communication, she decided she would have to report the matter.

“I was really concerned about patient safety and wondered if the abuse was still going on,” she told RTÉ Radio’s Drivetime programme. However, she said she got no help from the medical council, limited help from the Irish Nurses Organisation and was ignored by the hospital management and the Medical Missionaries of Mary, who then owned the hospital.

“The legal advice was not to make a complaint because I would be sued, I would lose my family home, that Michael Shine would destroy me,” she said.

Eventually, the complaint went to a senior official in the then North Eastern Health Board who did act on it although instead of suspending Shine, an arrangement was brokered so he could take compassionate leave.

By then, word of the allegation had emerged in the media and other men started to come forward with similar complaints but the whistleblower still came under pressure to back down.

“There were untrue and malicious rumours circulating that were damaging to me personally and professionally,” she said. “It was a very, very stressful time.”

At that time the North Eastern Health Board was preparing to take over the hospital from the Medical Missionaries of Mary and as part of the deal concluded in 1997, the religious order contributed £1.6 million (€2.03m) towards the cost of any future claims that might arise out of the Shine inquiry.

To date no claim has been made on that fund which remains ring-fenced to meet any compensation awards that might be granted by the courts. It is understood a number of civil actions are pending but the HSE North East, which replaced the health board, was unable to confirm this yesterday.

In response to the high court order confirming the medical council’s decision, the HSE said only: “The HSE welcomes the conclusion of this matter.”

The saga has echoes of the Dr Michael Neary scandal, also at Our Lady of Lourdes, where a consultant carried out dozens of unnecessary womb removals on female patients but it took years for the authorities to take action.

Sheila O’Connor of Patient Focus, the group which campaigns on behalf of patients hurt by both Neary and Shine, said the men she worked with welcomed the medical council’s decision but were annoyed it had taken so long to come.

“It’s been a terribly trying time for them,” she said.