HSE failures put children at risk, says report

The HSE did not always formally notify gardaí of cases where children may have been physically or sexually abused, a report published by the health watchdog has claimed.

The Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) report, An Inspection of the HSE Child Protection and Welfare Service in the Carlow/Kilkenny Local Health Area, found that while overall services for children were safe, there was a litany of shortcomings that could place vulnerable children at risk.

Yesterday, Epic (Empowering People in Care) said the report, the first under new powers available to Hiqa, was “alarming” and “very concerning”.