Irish Patients' Association calls for investigation into recent 'crisis' at Slaintecare

Last week, a third medical adviser Prof. Anthony O’ Connor resigned from Sláintecare Implementation Advisory Council (Siac).

The Irish Patients’ Association has called for an independent investigation into what recently happened with Sláintecare, describing it as being “in crisis”.

The Association has written to the Chairman and Members of the Oireachtas Health Committee “out of concern regarding recent serious developments in the management and oversight” of Sláintecare.

The letter noted that in the past five weeks, Sláintecare has lost its chairman and executive director as well as a non-executive board member.

Last week, a third medical adviser Prof. Anthony O’ Connor resigned from Sláintecare Implementation Advisory Council (Siac).

The Association asked that the committee share their hope that the Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly will be able to bring proposals to the Cabinet in order “to honestly reconcile the concerns expressed by these professionals”. 

It called for an independent investigation into the recent events around Sláintecare.

“If someone dies or is injured in a hospital, if there is a road accident and there's a fatality, if there's an airline crash, or banking crisis there is an inquiry as to what caused it so that learning and appropriate accountability is identified,” the letter read.

“What has recently happened with Sláintecare should be seen as a major adverse event and should be independently investigated.” The letter described the Sláintecare strategy as being “in crisis”, stating that if planned targets had been met, they could have reduced overcrowding in emergency departments.

There were 467 patients being treated on trolleys in hospitals across the country this morning, according to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO).

“We have almost 800,000 patients on hospital waiting lists as well as continued overcrowding in our Emergency departments,” the letter continued.

In the midst of these crises, and it is a crisis, the historically agreed cross-party Sláintecare strategy is itself in crisis.

“Experts charged with its rollout have raised their concerns, on its governance, competencies and pace of reform, with one of the resignees describing their meetings ‘as a waste of time’.” 

They have recommended an independent review of these "crises”, stating that “we need to get it right” and asked that the Government meet with Siac members and also with who resigned and “listen to what they say”.

Among other requests, the letter recommended that a booklet outlining all the good that Sláintecare will deliver, and a time for delivery, be sent to every household to inform the public.

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“Where will Slaintecare be in four years if you don’t stand up for it now? When asked everyone says they are supporting Slaintecare. If that is so, why then these criticisms?

“The public, patients, patient advocacy groups indeed the country at large needs to hear what you will do to resolve the legitimate problems and well-founded criticism.

“Patients, past present and future, deserve a strong voice in Slaintecare,” it concluded.

The Irish Patients’ Association’s states that its mission is to keep the patient at the centre of the healthcare system.