HSE accused of 'culture of secrecy' — damning review of hospitals never published

'For a start, the dignity, privacy, and safety of patients on trolleys needs attention,' the unpublished report stated.

The HSE has been accused by patient advocates of engaging in a 'culture of secrecy' as it emerged that an unpublished independent review of emergency care in nine HSE hospitals discovered “unsafe” and “unacceptable” treatment caused by overcrowding and staff shortages.

The 2019 report, which the HSE decided not to publish in the wake of Covid-19, was released to the Irish Patients Association under Freedom of Information.