Hassan disciplinary case: Leo Varadkar seeks HSE review

Minister for Health Leo Varadkar has written to the Health Service Executive asking it to review employment procedures for staff who move between different hospitals and facilities.

His action follows the guilty verdict in a disciplinary case involving Dr Omar Hassan Khalafalla Mohamed, who faced a series of allegations relating to time he spent working at the Midlands Regional Hospital Portlaoise, Mayo General Hospital and University Hospital Galway.

Dr Hassan moved from one hospital to the next despite concerns being raised by staff who worked with him.

Mr Varadkar said he wanted the HSE to ensure all steps possible are taken to establish that doctors who are taken on are qualified to the required standard. All recruitment procedures, including verification of references, must be completed prior to anyone taking up a post, he said.

He has also asked the HSE to ensure performance evaluations of health service staff are undertaken on a regular basis, and immediately in all situations where concerns are raised about the performance of staff.

“In particular, the HSE should ensure the full enforcement of contractual provisions requiring employees to declare whether they are, or have been, the subject of any investigation by a medical registration or licensing body or authority in any jurisdiction with regard to their practice or conduct.”

Sanctions

Dr Hassan was found guilty of 28 counts of poor professional performance and six counts of professional misconduct at a fitness to practise hearing of the Medical Council. He denied the allegations throughout the proceedings.

Sanctions against Dr Hassan (30) will be determined at a later date but his medical registration has already been suspended. The inquiry, held over 11 days, heard a number of former colleagues express grave concern regarding Dr Hassan’s clinical abilities.

The HSE has yet to explain how it was that Dr Hassan was able to move between jobs when concerns had been raised about his work.

A spokesman said: “The HSE requires hospitals to ensure contractual provisions requiring employees to declare whether they are, or have been, the subject of any investigation by a medical registration or licensing body or authority in any jurisdiction with regard to their medical practice or conduct as a practitioner are fully enforced.

“Hospitals should also ensure that there are appropriate sanctions applied in cases where references are not obtained or checked prior to the doctor commencing employment.”

Mr Varadkar said it could not be left solely to professional regulators like the Medical Council to ensure that doctors were fit to practice.

“Employers like the HSE, voluntary hospitals and private sector operators also have responsibilities,” he said.