HSE begins independent audit of hospital organ retention
The review will include 32 hospitals. The HSE has instructed all hospitals concerned to fully support the review, which began in July and will be complete by the end of the year.
It follows separate audits already carried out by hospitals and completed in March this year.
Parents for Justice — a group of more than 1,000 families who had relatives’ organs retained without consent — have met the HSE in relation to the hospital audits.
They contacted Health Minister Mary Harney with concerns about the “accuracy” of hospitals audits.
The Madden Report on Post-Mortem Practice and Procedure, published last year, found major problems with record keeping in relation to removal, retention, storage, sale and disposal of human organs.
The independent audit now being undertakenby Michaela Williswho has been commissioned by the National Hospitals Office, under the HSE.
Ms Willis was a founder member and chair of Britain’s National Committee relating to Organ Retention, and was the former chairperson of the Bristol HeartChildren Action Group, which was instrumental in obtaining the public inquiry investigating paediatric cardiac services at the Bristol Royal Infirmary.
Parents for Justice yesterday said it hoped some outstanding questions would be answered by Ms Willis’ review of organs in hospitals.
Spokeswoman Charlotte Yeates said: “Some people still don’t realise they are involved, that their relatives’ organs are there.
“They could be still sitting on a shelf. We hope this lady will get information and answers to our questions over organs.
“Even though there was an inquiry, familiesreally have learnt nothing.”
Parents for Justice says it is still seeking answers over the audits already carried out and have also been given no timeline as to when the subsequent independent review will be finished.
It also wants answers as to what were the contents of 54 boxes of files examined for the original organs inquiry.
A HSE statement last night said: “32 hospitals have been identified to take part on phase one of the audit.
“Phase one will also inform whether there is a requirement to further audit any additional hospitals. The HSE said it had also written to all hospitals in phase one requesting that “full support and all information requested to carry out the audit is provided to the auditor”.
Meanwhile, the Department of Health expect the drafting of legislation on post-mortem practices to be in place before the year’s end.
