Special support team for HSE

The HSE has been told to set up a properly funded “special support team” by the end of March to ensure “major adverse events” like those at Portlaoise are acted on and not ignored.

The Department of Health report into the situation at the midlands hospital said the creation of the group is vital due to the repeated failure of officials at the facility to address known problems.

According to the detailed report, multiple case files at Portlaoise raised concerns over maternity services and put forward specific recommendations on how to improve care for patients.

However, the document warned there “appears to have been no clear system” to ensure the “effective and expedient implementation” of these recommendations, “many of which were to deal with known risks to patients”.

As a result of the situation, the department report said the HSE must set up a new group which will be tasked with fully implementing improvements based on hospital inquiries into patient concerns. It said this specialist group must be in place by the end of this month and be “appropriately resourced” to overcome any financial or staffing pressures resulting from its work.

“It is essential that responsibility and accountability is clearly set out in relation to recommendations that arise from reviews of incidents. This also needs to include monitoring and assurance in relation to implementation of recommendations. Such a system is urgently needed to bring clarity to the roles of managers and clinical leaders as to patient safety matters.

“It will have to conform to, and be consistent with, other systems of accountability in such a way as to ensure matters of quality and safety are given consideration in management and leadership consistent with their importance.”

The report added that without this group there can be no guarantees a repeat of events at Portlaoise can be avoided.