CUH and HSE South West bosses asked to appear before PAC amid patient safety concerns

The Public Accounts Committee does not have the power to compel executives who are not accounting officers to attend meetings, but HSE chief executive Anne O’Connor is due before that same meeting

Patient safety concerns at CUH have remained since August when Jennifer Kearney, CUH chief executive, wrote to senior HSE officials warning of a shortfall of about 1,000 staff, caused by recruitment restrictions and delays in approving posts.

The chief executive of Cork University Hospital and the top health official in the HSE South West have been called before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) next month, amid growing patient safety concerns at the hospital.

Those concerns have remained since August when Jennifer Kearney, CUH chief executive, wrote to senior HSE officials warning of a shortfall of about 1,000 staff, caused by recruitment restrictions and delays in approving posts.