HSE issue a denial

THE Health Service Executive said it was very concerned about Fine Gael’s decision to publish a report on a teenage girl who died while in the care of the state.

Strongly rebutting any suggestion it was suppressing the report, the authority said it had given a commitment to publish the report in consultation with the girl’s family.

The HSE said it made contact with the girl’s family last October and it was agreed that the next of kin would be given an opportunity to review the 100-page report before it was published.

“The HSE has a duty to protect the identity of children in their care and also has a duty to protect the privacy of the families of the deceased,” it stated last night.

The authority said the consultation process had been delayed because of “personal reasons pertaining to the family”.

It pointed out that a meeting was due to take place with the girl’s family in the coming weeks after which the report could have been published.

However, Fine Gael’s decision to publish the report meant that the girl’s family would have to relive the circumstances surrounding her death in a very public manner.

The HSE also confirmed that all of the report’s 47 recommendations “have been or are being” implemented.

HSE assistant director for children and families Phil Garland said the report contained details of the life of a young woman who was let down by various health services over the course of her tragic life.

And, he said, while it was crucial that such reports were published to ensure accountability and transparency in relation to children in care, they were also distressing and sensitive, particularly for those closest to the deceased.