Health Minister admits HSE needs cultural change

HEALTH Minister James Reilly said he agreed that a cultural change is needed within the Heath Service Executive (HSE) after the organisation’s head of child and family services described it as appalling and likened its accountability structures to those of the Catholic Church.

Gordon Jeyes, who was appointed head of the HSE’s child and family services in December, made the comments while delivering a lecture at UCD last month.

His lecture was given just four weeks before the Children First guidelines to protect children was jointly launched by the Government and the HSE.