HSE using ‘all its power’ to stop hospital report

The advocacy group Patient Focus has accused the HSE of "attempting with all its power" to prevent the publication of a report into Portlaoise hospital by the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa).

Its criticism follows a row between the two agencies over the contents of a draft Hiqa investigation report dealing with safety issues at the hospital. It was commissioned after it emerged five babies had died at the hospital.

Last month, it emerged the HSE had threatened to take legal action to prevent the publication of the report which has placed some blame for shortcomings at the Midland Regional Hospital, Portlaoise, on senior corporate management. The HSE has claimed the report contains inaccurancies.

The HSE has also accused Hiqa of leaking its own draft report before it had any time to respond to criticism in it, after details of the report's findings were published in The Irish Times earlier this week. Hiqa has denied the allegation.

In a statement, Patient Focus weighed in saying it is “profoundly depressing” to watch the HSE attempt “with all its power” to block publication.

"Sadly it is no surprise. It mirrors the strange decision not to establish a helpline for worried families in the immediate aftermath of the Prime Time programme (on the deaths of the babies)," it said. "It is difficult not to conclude that the HSE sees the tragic facts about Portlaoise as 'dirty linen' best not aired in public."

The HSE reiterated its position that it has “no desire to delay or prevent” publication of the report.

It said Hiqa had wasted five weeks by refusing to engage with it on areas of concern, a delay that has impacted on its publication date. It also said the report, as it stands, contains inaccuracies and lacks context and balance.

Meanwhile, the Minister for Health Leo Varadkar declined to comment on the matter, saying the report was in draft form and would be published once it had been submitted to him.

“We do not need to wait around for yet another report to take actions to strengthen Portlaoise and assure patient safety and quality,” he said, saying several measures had already been put in place.