Opposition slams HSE 'shambles'

The Labour Party has said today's reports into the breast cancer misdiagnosis scandal in Portlaoise reveal major problems with the HSE in the Midlands.

The party's spokesperson on health, Jan O'Sullivan, says the reports show that the organisation was in a shambles.

She also says a similar chaotic situation could be in place around the rest of the country.

Fine Gael's health spokesman James Reilly, meanwhile, said the reports confirm what every dog on the street knows - that the HSE is grossly dysfunctional.

He said the body lacks transparency and accountability and nobody is prepared to take responsibility for the situation.

Dr Reilly says the Minister for Health Mary Harney has only been paying lip service to the idea of putting the patient first in the health service.