Abused patients’ advocates ‘ignored by HSE and department’

An agency supporting victims of sexual violence in the Irish health service has claimed it is being ignored by the HSE and the Department of Health.

Dignity 4 Patients said some patients in Ireland, such as those abused by disgraced DJ Jimmy Savile in Britain, reported abuse to other health professionals but were not listened to or responded to appropriately. Former nurse and executive director of Dignity 4 Patients Bernadette O’Sullivan said the organisation was the voice of abused patients, but the Irish health authorities were not listening to it.

“We call on the Minister of Health, his department officials, and the HSE, in light of the Savile report, to reconsider the attitude they have adopted to date to Dignity 4 Patients and the hundreds of people who have contacted the service,” said Ms O’Sullivan.

Funding for Dignity 4 Patients, established in 2008, was abruptly stopped in 2010. While the HSE continued to provide funding to rent an office, it has refused to pay for staff.

“Much of the information contained in the [Savile] report is mirrored in many complaints of sexual abuse and other inappropriate sexual behaviour which we have received from patients and former patients of the Irish health service.”

Health Minister James Reilly has said he was very concerned about the possibility that Savile had abused Irish children during his numerous visits to Ireland.

“Obviously, we would be very concerned to ensure that nobody fell victim to somebody with the reputation that he clearly now has posthumously,” said Dr Reilly.

Dr Reilly said he would be liaising with Children’s Minister Charlie Flanagan on the issue to ensure no one in Ireland was a victim.

Ms O’Sullivan said she was sure there were people in Ireland that were victims of Savile who had yet to come forward.

“We would encourage anyone who may have suffered abuse by this serial sex offender to seek help,” she said.

“When I set up the organisation, a number of former patients spoke to me because I was a nurse, about incidents that happened to them 20, 30 and 40 years ago.”

Ms O’Sullivan said most of the complaints were against doctors but the service had received complaints against care professionals and other people in the health service.