Health chiefs knew of ‘evil’ at Leas Cross, say relatives

HEALTH chiefs were aware of deficiencies at Leas Cross nursing home for eight years which culminated in “something very evil” happening, relatives of former residents at the nursing home claimed yesterday.

Relatives accused the Health Service Executive of lying to them and obstructing access to the truth.

At a press conference, the newly-formed Leas Cross Deaths Relatives Action Group revealed complaints were now being sent to gardaí and the Department of Health.

“We have a feeling of grave dissatisfaction with the way our loved ones were treated in recent years,” said Tony Mullins, whose mother Kitty, 82, died of pneumonia a month after being removed from Leas Cross in 2004.

Many families coming forward were embarrassed and feeling guilty, he added.

Relatives had relied on HSE approval before placing loved ones in Leas Cross, but a wealth of negative evidence has emerged since the facility was shut down following an RTÉ expose in May last year.

Consultant Martin Hynes declared the home should not have been registered, staff experience was inadequate and family complaints remained unchecked.

Prof Des O’Neill’s report on 105 deaths found care was deficient at many levels and consistent with a finding of institutional abuse.

“What the families feel here is the HSE were aware of the delinquent behaviour in Leas Cross from 1998 to 2005,” added Mr Mullins.

On average, residents were surviving 41 days in 2005 before dying. HSE chiefs had been aware of shortcomings, the press conference heard.

Relatives’ attempts through accountants to discern the corporate ownership behind the home have failed. The new victims group calculate Leas Cross received annual subventions of €2 million from the HSE and another €1m from private residents.

If funds had been pulled from the 111-bed facility, standards of care would have changed, insist relatives.

It was stressed yesterday a lot of Leas Cross’ staff had been decent, caring people, but Mr Mullins added:

“Something very evil happened in Leas Cross in the last seven years and it is our view that the HSE knew of the deficiencies at Leas Cross. They were the bankers of Leas Cross.”

The HSE last night said it had written to over 100 relatives of former Leas Cross residents offering them meetings.

A meeting is arranged for December 11 with Age Action, Patient Focus, Irish Patients Association and the Irish Hospice Foundation about inspections.

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