No complaint was made, so what’s the real hospital agenda?

THE inquiry into Mallow General Hospital, leaked to RTÉ before last weekend, was allegedly instigated because of complaints received by HIQA from patients about clinical care received in the hospital.

The report on the 9 o’clock RTE television news on Friday night (August 6) was particularly damaging to the hospital. This report was uncritically repeated in other media outlets over the weekend. It now transpires that no such complaints were received by HIQA. Before any inquiry is commenced or any results are available, terrible damage has been done to the reputation of the hospital.

The timing of the inquiry is puzzling. Following the Ennis report, hospitals in Cork and Kerry are undergoing a process of reconfiguration which is not far from completion and implementation. The role of Mallow hospital and how it delivers patient care will be radically altered. It seems to make no sense to inspect the services of the hospital when it is on the verge of such change. What can the purpose of an inquiry by HIQA be at this time when most of its likely recommendations are already about to be implemented. It is almost as if HIQA wants to undertake an inspection while it still has a chance to make negative findings about another small hospital.

That elements of the media are credulous and compliant is disappointing but not a surprise. There is a belief within higher levels in the HSE that the solution to the problems of our hospital services is to close all small and medium-sized hospitals.

Most people have long lost faith in the corporate HSE. In this case, a malign leak almost certainly from the HSE is part of the same choreography as a HIQA announcement. That there is now a strong perception that HIQA has become an implementation arm for HSE policy is deeply unsettling.

Noel O’Connor

Treasurer

Friends of Mallow Hospital

Spa Glen

Mallow

Co Cork