Parents’group concerned at new wave of anguish over audit

A CAMPAIGN group for parents of deceased children whose organs were retained without their consent is seriously concerned at the new wave of anguish caused by the revelations thrown up by latest Health Service Executive probe.

Parents for Justice spokeswoman, Charlotte Yeates, said they were disappointed that the Rotunda was having to write to families in relation to 138 postmortems carried out between 2000 and 2007 because it did not comply with national guidelines.

Particularly upsetting were the small number of unidentifiable and identifiable foetuses in hospitals that had yet to get a dignified burial

Michaela Willis, a former member of the Human Tissue Authority in Britain, who led the audit, has told the health authority to find an immediate resting place for these babies.

“We had spoken to a lady this morning who had been contacted last night by a social worker in the Coombe Hospital (Dublin maternity hospital) telling her that the report was being produced today and to mind herself over the next few days.

“This lady had made inquiries to the hospital three years ago and got no response.

“Now the hospital has told her it would be in touch with her shortly and, obviously, the news will be upsetting because hospitals do not contact people unless they have bad news for them.”

Ms Yeates said the audits had thrown up more questions than answers and highlighted the need for a state inquiry.

“This report does not give closure or comfort to anyone affected by the organ retention scandal,” she said.

Health Minister Mary Harney said the audit would provide a strong base for a process of continuous improvement in postmortem practice in Ireland.

The minister also said she intended proposals for new legislative proposals to regulate the removal, retention, storage, use and disposal of human tissue from postmortems in the autumn.

Labour’s Jan O’Sullivan said the audit was one of the key recommendations of the Madden Report that was published in January 2006.

Another key recommendation was the introduction of legislation.

She said it was most disappointing that four years on Ms Harney could not even give a target date for publication of legislation, never mind its enactment.

The faculty of pathology welcomed the Willis report and hoped it provided some degree of comfort to patients and families that changes for the better could be made and that their active involvement had made a real difference.