Incompetent health workers may be named and shamed

Incompetent dentists, nurses, opticians and pharmacists could be named and shamed under new laws, it emerged today.

Plans for a new bill to replace the current Medical Practitioners Act may include making public disclosures on practitioners whose conduct or competence is questioned.

Michael Scanlan, Secretary General of the Department of Health and Children, said legislative proposals on the bill will reflect the thinking of the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005.

Disgraced parties who refuse to enter mediation can be publicly named and shamed.

“An essential element of mediation is that the parties can rely fully on assurances of confidentially,” he told the Oireachtas Committee on Finance and Public Service. “Participation in mediation is always voluntary and if mediation fails, the parties can turn to other formal processes.”

Addressing the extent of the Freedom of Information Act in the health sector, he said it currently applies to more than 70 public bodies in the health sector, with plans to incorporate a further 18.

Only a very small number of organisations in the sector will remain outside the scope of the act.

Committee members including Fine Gael’s Richard Bruton and Independent Catherine Murphy slammed health chiefs for failing to respond adequately to questions in the Dáil.

“It’s a joke what we are getting back from the HSE,” said Deputy Murphy. “It is coming up regularly in the Dáil.

“There are major problems in terms of information and it is very unhelpful.

“I got three replies yesterday that I asked at Christmas. One was an answer and two were stock replies.”

Deputy Murphy said information should be readily available and believes publishing reports, even those containing damning information, would build confidence within the public, proving the profession has nothing to hide.

“How can we compare the level of service in one part of the country to another when the information is not there?” she asked.

“I do not accept the information is not there. I believe there is a resistance to give that information out.”

“Its frustrating,” she added.

“We are almost being snubbed in terms of information available. It was available when the councillors were on health boards, but now it’s not available to the national government.

“It’s an absolute disgrace. Outrageous.”

Agreeing with concerns, Mr Scanlan admitted it was perceived that some questions from the Oireachtas were almost disregarded and put in to a black hole. He said plans to address parliamentary replies more efficiently included putting them on a website.

“I know there is a huge level of frustration with this at the moment,” he said. “We are working on it. We do have to change the culture.”