Joel incident will not recur, pledges Harney

TÁNAISTE and Health Minister Mary Harney last night pledged no patient in Ireland would ever again be allowed to die in the “horrific” conditions suffered by Evelyn Joel.

Indicating a major overhaul of the health service’s tracking and outreach procedures, Ms Harney made it clear serious lessons needed to be learned from the tragedy.

The Health Minister said she would not prejudge two official inquiries under way into the squalid death of MS sufferer Ms Joel, who wasted away to four stone at her daughter’s home before dying in hospital, but insisted the situation could not be repeated.