‘We need accountability & transparency', warns Dail health watchdog as CHI to face grilling over series of scandals
THE HEAD of the Dail's health watchdog has warned bosses at underfire Children's Health Ireland that full accountability and transparency is needed when they face TDs and Senators later this week.
The body that runs our children's
The latest issue to hit CHI saw an internal report reveal a culture of
This shocking report also unveiled problems with the handling of waiting lists that resulted in some children being left waiting too long for much needed surgeries that they could have got from other doctors.
CEO Lucy Nugent, ex-chief Eilish Hardiman, clinical director Ike Okafor, and Head of Spinal Surgery David Moore are set to face the
Watchdog chairman Padraig Rice has warned CHI bosses that he will demand full accountability and transparency when they come before TDs and Senators.
Read more in News
He told the Irish Sun: 'We need to see some accountability and transparency.
'We need them to start answering some of the questions we're putting to them and we need to see a culture change.
'There are lots of things that do need to change at CHI.
'They are going to be responsible for the transfer to the National Children's Hospital – one of the largest health infrastructure and capital projects in the history of the State.
Most read in the Irish Sun
'We have to ensure that we're handing the keys of that hospital to a safe pair of hands and that it will be managed well.
'There have been a series of scandals and a series of issues with CHI and I think there are serious questions for CHI on how it is being managed, the internal culture, the internal communications, the working arrangements there, bullying.
'You are going to have to remove me from this Chamber,' Senator shouts as fury sparked over surgery waiting lists
'They have a lot of issues to address and a lot of that starts with changing that culture and core to that is transparency and accountability not just to the Oireachtas but to parents and to families.'
The Social Democrats TD said that 'trust in CHI is on the floor for parents' and he believes the leaders of the State body need to work to restore that trust.
Our Kids Can't Wait Campaign
WAITING lists in Ireland have long been a national disgrace.
More than 106,000 children are on hospital waiting lists for all treatments. However, a new source of shame has emerged as 327 children wait for life changing spinal surgeries.
Their conditions are getting worse while they languish on waiting lists.
Such are the delays, many child patients will be outside the therapeutic window when their treatments are approved.
Earlier this month, the Seanad heard how at least one child has become permanently paralysed since the issue was raised publicly before Christmas.
Their plight has been spearheaded by campaigning Senator Tom Clonan, who himself has a child with a disability.
Former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has even admitted that the health service is failing these kids.
Children are being allowed to deteriorate due to mismanagement, which has allowed the waiting lists to grow.
The Irish Sun's Kids Can't Wait campaign aims to shine a light on how the State is failing sick children and give their families a voice.
It will also force the Government to do something to clear the backlog of operations and give these children a chance of living a normal life.
1
CHI's CEO Lucy Nugent is among those set to be grilled
Credit: PR Handout image
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Times
6 hours ago
- Irish Times
Sinéad Gibney tells of how cousin Des Bishop ‘helped me to reflect on my own drinking'
It was a routine slot in the Dáil early on Thursday morning. Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke was taking oral questions from TDs. Somebody asked him about mandatory health labelling on alcohol products. He replied the Government might defer its introduction because of the threat of US tariffs. Social Democrats TD Sinéad Gibney intervened to say she opposed putting the labels on the long finger. It was then that she disclosed to the chamber, and by extension to the public, her own relationship with alcohol. 'I haven't had a drink of alcohol in 13½ years. Alcohol and its negative impacts have played a huge part in my life,' she told the Dáil. Gibney had thought through what she would say and the fact she would be making this very public revelation to support her opposition to this rollback of policy. She had spoken publicly about her drinking in the past but knew that saying it in the Dáil would draw a different level of attention to her personally. READ MORE [ TD says she hasn't drunk alcohol in over 13 years during impassioned plea to not delay health-warning labels Opens in new window ] The Social Democrats TD for Dublin-Rathdown has been perceived as a high achiever throughout her career, having been head of social action with Google Ireland and the chief commissioner of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission . However, from her mid-teens to her mid-30s, she had a problematic relationship with alcohol. 'My drinking had always been too heavy. I had my first drink at 14. I was regularly drinking by the time I was 16. I'm not good at stopping. 'I was good craic, but I would always be the last person standing, and that's not good for your health ... That pattern was always there, absolutely.' Things came to a head in her mid-30s. She was a single mother, working in Google and studying for a master's degree. 'I had a busy social life and, like a lot of Irish people, I drank too much. 'It wasn't detrimental to my friendships. I was a life-and-soul type of person but it was detrimental to me in terms of my own mental health. I had a lot of bad hangovers.' There was no epiphany moment, no intervention. She decided to see if she could live her life without alcohol. She also wanted to be more present for her daughter, Bella, who was 11 at the time. 'I knew that I just wasn't there for Bella in a way that I wanted to be. That was definitely part of my motivation.' The comedian Des Bishop is her cousin and he had a destructive relationship with alcohol as a younger man. She talked to him frequently around this time. 'He helped me to reflect on my own drinking and what it was like in my life. That prompted self-reflection in me. And so I decided to test my life without alcohol.' 18/12/2024 - NEWS - Image as the Dail return's. Sinead Gibney SD. Photograph Nick Bradshaw / The Irish Times At the time, she did not describe it to herself as an addiction. 'I saw myself as somebody who worked hard and played hard. I did not necessarily think I had a problem with alcohol.' Nonetheless the drinking patterns were not healthy. 'I might have a bottle of wine in the fridge that I would have over a few nights, and then sometimes I wouldn't put the bottle away. On a weeknight, drinking a full bottle of wine is not good. The thing is it did not interfere with my work. It was much more impactful on my relationship with my daughter and, indeed, with myself.' She had picked a date of mid-January 2012 to stop. But a 'hard night' out just after Christmas, and a horrendous hangover, brought the date forward to New Year's Eve. She has not taken alcohol since. 'I just bare-knuckled it. The thing about addiction is that when you take away the painkiller you feel the pain. I went into therapy a few months later and I had a brilliant therapist. I've been in therapy multiple times in my life. I'm a big fan of it and very open about it. 'I was dealing with stuff that arose because I gave up alcohol and that was why I needed that therapy journey.' She said that people advised her she would probably not get a whole lot out of Alcoholics Anonymous at that time. 'So I chose not to go. I did go to AA years later for a period and really found it very helpful. But at the time for me, therapy was a really good support in navigating through life without alcohol.' She says she doesn't tend to use the word alcoholic a lot mainly because of the reaction it provokes and because addiction is a complex topic. 'A lot of us have forms of addiction in our lives that we don't really own up to. I think it was probably years later that I probably started to say the word alcoholic, but I did talk about addiction and recovery from quite soon after. My sobriety now is something I really treasure.' The personal benefits were immeasurable. 'It transformed my relationship with my daughter. I became so much more present, and the quality of time that we had together just shot up.' The change was not without big challenges, though: 'I now had to navigate social anxiety and how to be around people in a social setting without the crutch of alcohol. 'I spend a lot of time in my life working on my self-awareness. I do not feel that I would be here where I am today if I hadn't made that choice around alcohol. 'I think there is a large amount of potential in this country that is untapped because of alcohol. People will hear my story, and hopefully some people will hear something similar to what they experience. Every single human should examine their relationship with alcohol.'
Irish Times
a day ago
- Irish Times
Minister in the spotlight as health controversies intensify
'It is frightening, what was happening at CHI', Sinn Féin health spokesman David Cullinane said as politician after politician at the Oireachtas health committee tore strips off the embattled group that runs children's hospital services in Dublin. The hospital group knew it would be facing a rough day given the litany of contentious issues facing it: the implantation of unauthorised springs , allegations surrounding unnecessary hip operations , controversy over lengthy waiting lists for spinal surgery, an internal report identifying dysfunctional behaviour and a toxic culture in parts of CHI as well as concerns over whether National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) money earmarked for reducing hospital waiting lists had been misused. As CHI was heading to the bear pit that is the committee room on Thursday, Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill was on her way to a European health council meeting in Luxembourg. But she and her officials were keeping a close eye on proceedings as the Oireachtas committee heard directly from those running CHI for the first time. 'There is absolutely zero confidence in the CHI board, zero confidence in the management,' said Fianna Fáil TD Martin Daly. READ MORE He later maintained he was reflecting the feelings of colleagues in the Oireachtas. On the ministerial corridors at Leinster House, senior figures may not be frightened by events at CHI. But there is no doubt there are strong concerns that after five years of relative quiet – accompanied by unprecedented levels of investment – health scandals are once again dominating the agenda. How all this is handled will be a big test for Carroll MacNeill in her first term as a senior Minister. Initially she was seen as one of the better performers in the Cabinet. But a number of figures in Government point out that in recent weeks things seem to be boiling over on a number of fronts. There is a clear sense within Government that the aggregate effect of the series of controversies represents an important moment and a shift in gears for Carroll MacNeill's ministerial career. 'It is a huge test for her, a huge challenge,' one source said, adding there were nascent concerns about keeping the centre of Government informed as the controversies develop. 'While she is the line minister, she is responsible, from a public perception point of view, the Government is responsible.' She must also master the inner workings and unpredictable dynamics of a health crisis – something that eventually falls to everyone in her position. This is particularly the case for one that is, in fact, composed of several overlapping sub-crises – a 'sprawling controversy with so many elements', as one source described it. She must keep track of timelines, keep the information flow running, keep across who knew what and when. For a first-time Cabinet minister, it is the ultimate acid test. Some of this may just be timing. The report by the health services watchdog, the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) on the unauthorised springs was always set for May and Government knew this would probably cause a storm that would be quickly followed by an equally damaging analysis into operations for children with developmental dysplasia of the hip. However, the stunning leak of an internal CHI report identifying potential patient safety risks, questionable use of NTPF-funded waiting list clinics and a toxic culture at one CHI hospital came out of left field. Ministers and health chiefs said they had been blindsided. The revelations also highlighted divisions between different parts of the health system and put the spotlight on flaws in the governance structures. Last week the NTPF confirmed it had suspended funding for waiting list initiatives at another centre, Beaumont Hospital in Dublin, on foot of potential financial irregularities. The Irish Times revealed this followed a letter sent to the chairwoman of Beaumont by consultants in which they maintained the hospital had billed the NTPF for about 1,400 patients treated in their regular public clinic. The Department of Health – and presumably the Minister – had been aware of this development since April. Carroll MacNeill had directed the HSE to send internal auditors into Beaumont . However, the public was not told until June 11th. Some highly placed sources maintain all this has led to concerns about the information flow around Government. One Minister told The Irish Times there had been discussions about what was coming out. 'As we hear things, things are being circulated,' they said. 'There is no concern about the political messaging, but there is huge concern about what we hear is going on – everything, from what you hear about [HSE chief] Bernard Gloster bringing in the gardaí to everything that is going on in terms of governance, the whole shooting match. But the primary concern is about the children.' Another Government figure said there is real concern that health may blow up (politically) in a way that it has not done in five years and that there may be too much of a hands-off approach by the Minister. The Government is only too aware there is more drama to come. CHI, the HSE and the NTPF will be before the Dáil Public Accounts Committee in early July. An external review into paediatric orthopaedic surgery being carried out for the HSE is also still awaited. A separate HSE report on 'insourcing', where some staff formed private companies to carry out additional work outside regular hours to tackle waiting lists, is also due, as are the findings of the internal auditors sent into Beaumont. Governments have spent more than €1.6 billion on waiting lists over recent years, using the NTPF, the HSE 'insourcing' and other arrangements. Any questionable findings will undoubtedly lead to more allegations about waste. Carroll MacNeill is facing a balancing act of trying to deal with serious issues in CHI at a time when the organisation should, ideally, be concentrating on moving the three existing paediatric centres in Dublin into the new €2.4 billion national children's hospital. TDs, like Daly, may have no confidence in CHI. But in the meantime services for children have to continue and workforce planning and other arrangements for the move have to be carried out in parallel. In late May the Minister told the Dáil: 'I am trying to look at this question in relation to the broader governance of CHI in a way that enables the functional continuity of CHI, both to respond to the various patient needs and ... the broader running of the paediatric system and to move us towards opening the new hospital. I want to ensure we see the appropriate governance structure in place to make sure that we have clinical leads who are managing each team.' However, within Government the ghost of the 2018 cervical check scandal casts a long shadow. This centred on retrospective audits of cervical cancer screenings that showed that 221 women's smear test readings missed abnormalities, leading to the development of cervical cancer. The results were not disclosed to 162 women and a number subsequently died. [ Justine McCarthy: Ireland's grubby treatment of Covid-19 heroes will cause frontline workers to think twice next time Opens in new window ] The fallout caused a national outcry. Ministers, doctors and health administrators did not adequately argue their own case and in the face of relentless criticism, a narrative took root and proved difficult to eradicate. There are fears that further revelations at the Public Accounts Committee or in forthcoming reports could spark further controversy. A number of sources have voiced concerns that the health service and CHI could replicate the rolling controversy seen over the RTÉ payments scandal two summers ago. The gaps and governance flaws identified by the CHI controversy also leaves the Minister with a decision on whether further reforms are needed. Health economist at UCC Dr Brian Turner described the current system as a complex mix of public and private funding and delivery with a large degree of overlap. He said there were publicly-funded public hospitals (run by the HSE), publicly-funded voluntary hospitals (run by their own boards) and public patients in private facilities such as nursing homes. In addition, the NTPF buys treatment in both the public and private systems. On top of this HSE reforms introduced last year led to new regional chief executives appointed to oversee services in geographic areas that covered both public and voluntary hospitals. [ Flying to Spain for medical care: 'The Irish really appreciate the services; they are actually really easy patients' Opens in new window ] One obvious question from this is who does the chief executive in a voluntary hospital primarily report to? Is it to the hospital board or the HSE regional chief executive? Such questions are not purely academic. At the Oireachtas committee, it became clear CHI did not believe its internal report merited a referral to the Garda. The HSE, on the other hand, wanted gardaí involved. One experienced health service figure told The Irish Times the CHI issue was casting a spotlight on the key governance question: who is in charge of what in the health service? With some exceptions, most of the main academic teaching hospitals covering most of the main specialities are in the voluntary sector. The staff are considered to be public servants but the hospitals are run by their own boards. Voluntary hospitals tend to jealously guard their independence. One senior figure pointed to a row last year when former minister for health Stephen Donnelly wanted all hospitals to adopt a new system that would provide greater visibility over productivity. A number of voluntary hospitals objected until the minster threatened to withhold capital funding. CHI reported to the minister, not to the HSE. However, when Donnelly wanted a new chief executive appointed as the former chief executive Eilish Hardiman had served the maximum two terms under Government policy, the CHI board disagreed. Simon Harris , as minister for health in 2017 established a review of the role of voluntary organisations in the operation of the health sector. But many key structures remained in place. One senior health source said voluntary hospitals previously argued they provided a set level of services for the State under an agreement each year but were subsequently free to treat fee-paying patients and do other work. However, private practice in public hospitals is now to be eliminated over time under Sláintecare , the long-term plan to achieve universal, single-tier health and social care. One experienced health figure said it was widely known that the governance arrangements were flawed. However, he questioned whether the Government had the bandwidth or determination to deal with the aggravation that would flow from trying to change the current model of care – a process that could take several years, and possibly beyond the next general election.
RTÉ News
2 days ago
- RTÉ News
Spotlight on CHI far from over after tense committee hearing
Today's appearance by Children's Health Ireland before the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health was a very tense and difficult affair. For the committee members, it left many questions unanswered, along with a sense of disbelief about the scale and gravity of events that have unfolded for children and parents. Committee chairperson Padraig Rice, of the Social Democrats, set the scene by saying he struggled to know where to start, noting that they could be there for days at the hearing. Some believed that all confidence in the CHI Board and management was now gone. There remain big questions about the ability of CHI to move to the new National Children's Hospital next year against this background. CHI has a lot of work to do to regain the trust of parents, the public and the political system, and it will likely be back before this committee soon for continuing scrutiny. Former CHI Chief Executive Eilish Hardiman expressed "heartfelt" sympathy for what actually happened. Committee members pointed out that the main events occurred on her watch. She is the Strategic Programme Director at CHI, and will have a key role in the move to the new hospital. The recently appointed Chief Executive Lucy Nugent apologised to families and promised to have CHI regain trust. Senator Tom Clonan said the events were a scandal of international dimensions, accusing CHI of running a three-ring circus and of having a toxic and broken culture with abhorrent work practices. Sinn Féin health spokesperson David Cullinane said that what was happening at CHI was frightening. There were questions about why some patients referenced in the unpublished internal review in a range of specialties, may have been affected by a lack of timely intervention, and why CHI has not been in contact with parents to notify them of this potential issue. Fine Gael TD Brian Brennan said it could all amount to one of the biggest medical malpractices in the history of the State. No one is quite sure how and when it will all end. Plus we learned of tension between the HSE and CHI, after claims that the HSE had been notified about the 2022 internal review report around that time. But the HSE told the committee the first its CEO Bernard Gloster and the HSE Regional Executive Officer learned about it was last month. CHI also took a different view to referring the report to An Garda Siochana, believing it did not meet the threshold for referral. The HSE decided to refer it recently. Another major report on spinal surgeries is due soon. And just 60 children out of 1,800 who had hip surgeries since 2010 have been reviewed to date under a lookback programme, which is expected to take six months to complete. There is a long and difficult road ahead for CHI, which has said there are no other live reports which are not in the public domain. The committee heard that a new CHI Director of Operations started on 9 June and the deputy CEO will start on 7 July.
