Drumm hints at need for HSE external review

THE head of the HSE, Professor Brendan Drumm, has said his organisation could benefit from an external review of its performance since its inception in 2005.

Responding to criticism of the HSE following the Tallaght Hospital X-ray and referral letter controversy, Prof Drumm said the time may have come to investigate the success of the HSE to date.

“Maybe it’s time for an independent agency to come in from the outside, independent of the HSE, the Department of Health, of Government, the political system and tell us has it made headway? And where it has, acknowledge it, and where it hasn’t, like in terms of our interaction with voluntary agencies, then let us learn from that,” he said.

While Minister for Children Barry Andrews last week denounced those “looking for a head on a plate”, Prof Drumm yesterday said whoever was responsible for the failure to open GP referral letters should be punished.

Prof Drumm said the revelation that 3,498 GP letters were not passed on to consultants created a potential for serious medical issues to be ignored.

He said, even in cases where the consequences were not life threatening, the discomfort to patients was unacceptable.

Prof Tom O’Dowd publicised the backlog suggesting 30,000 letters had been ignored. Tallaght Hospital disputed his figures, but admitted it was working to review 3,498 unchecked referrals.

He told RTÉ’s This Week programme the autonomy of voluntary hospitals remained a significant legal problem for the HSE.