Report into CHI waiting list will be referred to An Garda Síochána
File picture of the National Children's Hospital under construction. It has been reported that a CHI consultant violated HSE guidelines by directing patients from his public practice to privately-run weekend clinics. File picture: PA
An unpublished 2021 report into waiting list issues at Children's Health Ireland (CHI) is to be referred to gardaí.
It's believed the review found that treatment for seriously ill children was delayed and that a toxic culture existed in the department under examination.
The report, compiled by CHI, was not shared with the HSE or the Minister for Health until after it was highlighted by the last week.
The newspaper reported that a CHI consultant violated HSE guidelines by directing patients from his public practice to privately-run weekend clinics, being paid €35,800 via the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF), despite those patients not having waited the longest.
It is understood that a decision to refer the matter to gardaí came after a Cabinet Subcommittee on Health meeting on Wednesday evening.
The matter will be referred to gardaí by the HSE.
Health minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill had earlier called for the report to be made public.
CHI said that it has "sought legal advice" about sharing the report which it describes as "primarily a HR report where the confidentiality of those who participated and fair procedures need to be respected given the sensitive nature of the report".
Ms Carroll MacNeill said that she "recognises" some of the difficulties that CHI face but said more clarity is needed.
“There’s a measure of management, because we do want people to contribute to other HR processes.
“Nevertheless, I think it’s important that a redacted version of this report is published in the broader public interest," she told RTÉ's .
“When we look at this report, that has not been published, my concern for that is the correct use of taxpayer’s money, but even more importantly, patient safety and patient outcomes for very young children who needed surgical intervention.”
Asked on Wednesday whether he believed gardaí should become involved, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said that was a matter for the relevant authorities.
"I have said, and I'm on record as saying, that there are issues of clinical performance here that need to be addressed, there are issues of governance that need to be addressed, and the overarching governance framework, but that all has to be an evolving situation.
The issue has sparked calls for representatives of the National Treatment Purchase Fund to appear before the Dáil's public accounts committee (PAC).
On Wednesday, Social Democrats TD Aidan Farrelly, a member of the PAC, said that the issue had "raised serious concerns about the NTPF’s oversight of the allocation of public money for insourcing treatment".
