Organ report to criticise poor doctor-parent communications

THE Madden Report into organ retention, which will be published today, is expected to put particular emphasis on poor communications between doctors and parents.

The Cabinet will approve the publication of the report by UCC medico-legal academic Dr Deirdre Madden this morning and the report will be made available in mid-afternoon.

There has been strong speculation the report will conclude that neither hospitals nor doctors profited from the sale of organs and of glands to pharmaceutical companies.

Several drug companies were supplied with Irish children’s glands to make growth hormones in the late 1970s and 1980s. But it is understood that the report finds that only a nominal sum was paid.

Tánaiste Mary Harney said: “It is my intention to recommend to the Government that we accept all of the recommendations and there are a large number. We need new legislation in this area.”

Dr Madden was asked to write the report last April following the decision to terminate the inquiry chaired by Anne Dunne.

The Irish Examiner understands that the report examined how parents were or were not told about the removal of childrens’ organs.

In particular, it is believed to criticise the influence of “doctor knows best” culture in the past and how decisions weren’t always fully explained. It makes recommendations on how to avoid that situation recurring in the future.

Parents for Justice withdrew its co-operation with the second inquiry over its deep concerns about its restrictive terms of reference.

Some 41% of the parents it represents would receive no comfort from this report, the group said, because it restricted its examination to three Dublin hospitals and only to those children under the age of 12 who died.