Kean to turn down meeting with HSE officials

CELEBRITY lawyer Gerald Kean is to turn down an offer of a face-to-face meeting with senior Health Service Executive officials to grill them about the manner in which the health service is run.

Mr Kean said he was not interested in listening to “waffle” and plans instead to publish a series of questions to which he will seek answers from the HSE.

“I am preparing questions with an input from patient groups. I want to raise those questions publicly and in writing and I then plan to publish the answers,” he said.

Mr Kean was approached by the HSE last month as part of a new communications strategy targeting “opinion formers” and designed to brief regular contributors to newspapers and chat shows on how the health service works.

He was the first person approached under the new strategy by HSE national director of communications, Paul Connors.

Yesterday, Mr Kean questioned how directors of services within the HSE had time to field personal questions from him.

“I’ve a serious problem with him [Mr Connors] telling me these people are free to meet me – how have they time to meet me if they’re supposed to be running a health service?” he asked.

Mr Kean said he was interested in unearthing what was “causing the cancer” in the health service.

“Why is it that a man I met recently with an artificial limb had to bring his own disinfectant into hospital? Why is it that a 77-year-old woman had to scrub a ward floor when her husband was in hospital with shingles? Why does a woman with a tumour have to wait for treatment until July 6? There are thousands of questions like these and all have the same answer, lack of resources, shortage of staff. My questions will be more fundamental. I want to know why we are spending €16 billion on health and yet we have to close a children’s cancer ward,” he said.

Mr Kean said he believes the HSE is wasting money on management and administration.

“Why do they need a director of communications? Why do they need a communications office? I depend on word of mouth to build my reputation. My clients are my PR,” he said.

Mr Kean said he has great admiration for front-line staff and that he personally had not been let down by the health service “but that was because of who I am”.

“My father was treated like rubbish by the health service until they found out who I was. I seem to have consultants calling to my house. My problem is I am so well treated – and I’m getting that treatment because I have a few quid.”

Mr Kean said he had did not want to be “caught up in HSE spin” and that was why he was declining the offer of a forum.

Last night, Mr Connors said Mr Kean’s decision not to take up the offer was “his choice”. He said Mr Kean had not yet informed him of his intentions.

Mr Connors said he has also offered economist Jim Power the opportunity to grill HSE managers.