Report shows need for change of culture

THE Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) report on Portlaoise Hospital that found that managers at all levels in the HSE — local, regional, and national — were aware of patient safety risks at the hospital but failed to act on them is not unexpected.

It is, however, deeply disturbing and a challenge to our image of ourselves and our civic culture that Hiqa was unable to say it believed that the hospital was a safe place for patients. It is also a profound argument for forceful reform and greater resources for our health services.

That the report points out that hospital staff did not learn lessons from earlier clinical reviews on patient safety that might have reduced the risks faced by Portlaoise patients is shocking and unacceptable. This professional hubris must be explained and challenged with vigour.