HSE hired detective to spy on worker
Information obtained from the HSE reveals how it paid a lone private investigator €9,401 to examine an “alleged breach of confidentiality” by one of its own staff.
The work carried out by the private investigator — an unnamed retired emergency service manager with the NHS in Britain — included an examination of the staff member’s phone records.
The exact details of the incident have not been released by the HSE who say the worker was disciplined following the 2010 probe. The individual has not been dismissed and is still working at the HSE, a spokeswoman confirmed.
The information is contained in responses by the HSE to a series of questions arising from a parliamentary question submitted last year by Fine Gael TD Brian Hayes, now the Minister with responsibility for the Office of Public Works.
Hayes asked the HSE whether or not the practice of hiring such detectives was “widespread” in the organisation.
In a letter to the TD, Sean McGrath, the national director of human resources, said it was “not the typical practice of the HSE to engage private investigators”.
The letter added: “In the past three years, one private investigator has been engaged to ascertain an alleged breach of confidentiality.”
A HSE spokeswoman said “the matters involved the leaking of confidential information by a staff member” and “concentrated on an analysis of phone records”.
She added: “The HSE place great emphasis on the need for the strictest confidentiality in respect of our patients, clients and staff. Breaches of confidentiality will be considered to be a disciplinary matter to be dealt with under normal procedures.”
The spokeswoman confirmed the worker did face disciplinary action.
Fine Gael TD and member of the Public Accounts Committee Simon Harris said he was “very concerned” over the incident and would be raising it with health minister James Reilly. “The idea that they [the HSE] have to bring in some sort of private investigator to snoop through files sounds quite bizarre for a state agency that spends millions every year,” he added.