TALLAGHT HOSPITAL has insisted it is “fully co-operating” with an investigation by health watchdog Hiqa into the safety of patient care in the hospital’s emergency department.
A spokesman for the Health Information and Quality Authority said the hospital is “currently” co-operating with its statutory inquiry.
Minister for Health James Reilly said the management of the hospital and Hiqa were fully co-operating in the interest of patient care.
The hospital and the authority yesterday reacted tersely to reports that legal correspondence identified a bitter row between them concerning the conduct of the investigation.
A hospital spokeswoman said all correspondence between the hospital and the authority was private and confidential and the hospital was concerned “about any breach of this process”.
The hospital was fully co-operating with the investigation and had “sought clarification to ensure that the Hiqa process is fair, transparent and consistent with natural justice and fair procedure”, she said. An authority spokesman said the hospital was “currently” co-operating with the investigation.
Both Hiqa and the hospital said they would make no further comment during the process of the investigation, expected to conclude by the end of this year. Hiqa previously indicated it will consider making recommendations to be applied nationally in its report.
RTÉ reported yesterday it had seen correspondence exhibiting a bitter dispute between the authority and the hospital concerning the conduct of the investigation, announced last June arising from the death of a patient in the emergency department and other concerns.
The hospital has engaged a major law firm, AL Goodbody, to represent it regarding the investigation. Sources confirmed yesterday Hiqa had become frustrated with the nature and tone of legal correspondence from the hospital concerning the inquiry.
The hospital’s lawyers had queried whether the procedures adopted were fair, sought transcripts of all interviews, raised issues about a member of the investigation team and demanded a minimum 21 days to review the investigation report.
Hiqa in replies accused the hospital of threatening to withhold co-operation and warned it would use its statutory powers to compel co-operation. Hiqa also queried the use of a high-powered law firm to challenge the inquiry and asked how that equated with the need for health agencies, especially those with large deficits, to use scarce funds for patient services.
