Probe into fraud claims at Cork hospital

Investigations are continuing following allegations of fraud at a Cork hospital.

The HSE has confirmed officers have been called in to probe the disappearance of what is thought to be a substantial sum of money from St Mary’s hospital in Gurranabraher.

The exact amount of cash involved is not known but it is thought to run into hundreds of thousands of euro.

Detectives seized documents and computers from the hospital on Friday after allegations were made against a member of staff of the HSE South.

It has been reported that a HSE employee at the centre of the fraud investigation was hospitalised after attacking gardaí and attempting to take his own life.

The man cut himself with what is believed to have been a letter opener after gardaí arrived at St Mary’s hospital on Friday morning to seize documents.

During the incident he is understood to have cut his wrists and was taken to hospital for medical treatment.

His condition is not known and the injuries he received were not as a result of the actions of the gardaí, according to the Irish Examiner.

It is understood the fraud allegations related to the use of hospital funds that were intended for buying goods for the specialist hospital on Cork’s northside

The matter was first referred to gardaí at Gurranabraher on Thursday.

The HSE said it is co-operating with the Garda investigation.

Read more: Hospital worker in fraud probe tries to kill self