Whistleblower in South East nursing home death hasn't been interviewed four years after complaint

Kilkenny TD John McGuinness says a whistleblower who raised concerns about a 2015 death has been "met with resistance at every level".

The HSE has been criticised for not interviewing a whistleblower who flagged major concerns in the care of an elderly patient leading up to her death, almost four years after the complaint was made.

The patient died in 2015 following a "rapid decline" in her health at the HSE-run facility in the South East, with the executive forming an internal review group in 2020 to examine what happened to the patient and whether there was anyone at fault in relation to the decline in her health.

In a protected disclosure submitted in May 2018, the healthcare assistant alleged the patient, a woman aged in her early 90s, was deliberately neglected, resulting in her deterioration over a period of approximately five weeks. The disclosure followed a complaint made by the patient's family.

Severe dehydration

Medical notes taken at the time recorded the woman being severely dehydrated and in an emaciated condition at the end of this period. She wasrushed to hospital and died shortly after.

The delay in interviewing the care assistant has been blasted by TD John McGuinness, who told the Irish Examiner that the whistleblower has been "met with resistance at every level" since, with "little indication of an open and transparent investigation" to date.

He has accused the HSE of trying to "brush away" away the complaint.

In September 2020 the whistleblower was informed by the HSE that terms of reference had been agreed for the investigation and a review was underway. No terms of reference have been shared with the whistleblower.

"To this day, after four years, it's still not resolved," Mr McGuinness said.

The Kilkenny deputy said: "My information on this is that the patient was treated very badly and wasn't given the appropriate care in the hospital setting. The whistleblower brought it to the attention of those that needed to know, and no action was taken.

"In fact, after she pursued it, life in her job became extremely difficult for her. She was anxious not just to see justice done but she was anxious to see care being delivered and acknowledgement that something had gone wrong in the care of this person.

"The whistleblower knew the details and was prepared to raise her voice. In raising her voice, she kept front and centre the care of the patient, but then the whistleblower became the victim. I believe she was bullied and harassed to ensure she would not take the case and not press it further."

A spokesperson for the HSE's South East Community Healthcare division declined to comment when contacted.

Mr McGuinness further raised question marks over how the investigation has been handled, alleging that a conflict of interest has arisen, as one of the HSE personnel handling the disclosure has been sitting on other internal panels responding to complaints with the senior investigating officer.