TD slams CHI for not publishing full version of critical report
Children’s Health Ireland is under fire for publishing the executive summary and not the full version of the report. Stock picture: Colin Keegan/Collins
Children’s Health Ireland has been criticised for publishing the executive summary and not the full version of a controversial report.
The unpublished report into funding for waiting list initiatives showed children experienced delays in care. It also found examples of bullying and a toxic culture in the CHI departments reviewed.
The report has been extensively reported on, health minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked for it to be published, and the HSE asked An Garda Síochána to investigate.
Sinn Féin health spokesman David Cullinane said the limited summary is not enough.
"The minister for health must publish the highly critical internal review of yet more severe issues at Children’s Health Ireland," he said.
Frustrated families and advocates have contacted him and expressed their outrage, Mr Cullinane said:
"They are rightly not accepting that anymore and are demanding full transparency and accountability," he said.
The details contained in the review are circulating and, as a result, casting shadows across the organisation with public trust in CHI "at an all-time low", said Mr Cullinane.
“While the identity of individuals who contributed can and should be kept protected where appropriate, this should not be used as an excuse to keep details of the report under wraps.”
He added: “CHI must clarify the extent of communication with families and parents of children whose care was mismanaged. CHI cannot try to hide in the dark. There must be transparency and accountability.”
The original report said a fund for tackling waiting lists was used to run clinics where children selected were not among the longest waiters among other issues.
A spokesperson for Minister for Health Jennier Carroll MacNeil said: "Ms Carroll MacNeill previously sought advice from the Attorney General on whether she had the powers to publish the internal review and he has made it clear in his advice that she has no legal basis to do so."
On Monday, CHI defended its decision not to discuss this with families.
“Open disclosure was not carried out as there is no significant scientific evidence that delaying treatment will equate to patient harm in this patient cohort,” it said.
When asked if this comment also includes children described in the unpublished report as ‘orphans’ among children in the waiting list clinics, a spokeswoman said: “The highlighted line includes all relevant patient cohorts.”
The original report said a group of children received suboptimal care compared to children with the same condition treated at another hospital also in CHI.
The review team said numbers shared with it indicated between five and 80.
CHI said of the weekend clinics — funded by the NTPF (national treatment purchase fund) — that: “No direct payments were received by CHI staff from the NTPF.
“Funding for this waiting list initiative was received by CHI directly from the NTPF. Staff are only paid for additional work by CHI, over and above their contractual hours.”
It now runs a central referrals office for patient referrals.
It said “the majority of the recommendations” have been acted upon and the report had been shared with the CHI board in April 2022.
It also highlighted bullying and disrespect experienced by staff. The summary acknowledged the negative culture “has the potential to put patients at risk”.
The summary concluded: “This examination however, without question has demonstrated that there is a huge cohort of committed, diligent, people centric staff across CHI willing and wanting change and reform.”
Concerns about use of NTPF money have since spread, with the fund asking all hospitals to submit data on this by Monday.
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