Coalition blamed for deaths of newborns

The head of the HSE has pushed the blame for the deaths of newborn babies at Portlaoise Hospital back onto Government, claiming decisions to keep unviable services at the facility was “a matter of policy” which the HSE is “obliged to follow”.

HSE director general Tony O’Brien made the claim in response to widespread criticism of the organisation after a damning investigation by the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) into the midlands deaths.

Speaking on RTÉ radio yesterday, Mr O’Brien again apologised for the tragedies — which occurred when problems with the oxygen supply of newborn babies went unnoticed — and a decade of failure by the HSE to implement a series of reforms of the hospital.