THE HSE has never taken up its allotted seat on the board of the hospital at the centre of controversy last week over unopened GPs’ referral letters and unreported X-rays.
As HSE chief executive Prof Brendan Drumm yesterday distanced himself from the controversy at Tallaght hospital, it emerged that his officials decided it was not worth sitting on the board because it was so large.
Prof Drumm insisted he did not have day-to-day control over the hospital and did not even have the power to audit money spent there. In his first remarks on the issue, he told RTÉ radio that the HSE was unaware of the problems at the hospital until last December.
The legislation used to merge the former Adelaide, Meath and National Children’s Hospitals into a new hospital at Tallaght in 1998 provides for one seat on the 23- person board for the nominee of the Eastern Health Board (or any successor to its functions). The HSE replaced all local health bodies in 2005.
Had the HSE been represented on the Tallaght board, it might have been aware of the problems earlier, as these were discussed at board level from early last year.
The HSE decided last year not to take up the board seat. A spokeswoman said it was felt it would be ineffectual, with only one seat out of 23. It was also deemed inappropriate because the HSE was funding the hospital.
Local Fianna Fáil TD Charlie O’Connor said the lack of a HSE official on the board was a “major gap”.
Although the HSE provided more than €200 million in funding to the hospital each year, Prof Drumm insisted the HSE did not run Tallaght. As a voluntary hospital, Tallaght was run by its own board.
Fine Gael Health spokesman Dr James Reilly accused Prof Drumm of a “Pontius Pilate-like” refusal to take any responsibility for the scandals at the hospital. “It beggars belief that the head of the organisation which supplies €200 million to Tallaght hospital seems to have no hand, act or part in ensuring that the hospital is run in a safe fashion.”
The hospital board holds an emergency meeting today. Its members include six representatives each from the Adelaide Hospital Society and the Meath Hospital, three from the National Children’s Hospital, one from Trinity College and six nominees of the Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin.
Prof Drumm said the HSE’s inquiry into the failure to review X-rays and to open GP letters at Tallaght would take at least three months. Details of the inquiry are expected to be announced this week.
He said it was totally unacceptable that X-rays went unreported at the hospital. It was clear some X-rays should have been read but were not. It was appalling and unacceptable that GPs’ letters had not been opened as these could relate to very serious health issues. In some cases, patients could have died or have suffered painful conditions as a result of the failure to open the letters.
Prof Drumm said he had not received any requests for the HSE to fund additional staff. “There isn’t a hospital in country that isn’t being stretched. What you do is prioritise your work.”
He added that the HSE’s inquiry into the affair would be chaired by an independent person of “huge standing” and would examine both the X-rays and GP letters issues.
The HSE was examining whether similar issues occurred in other hospitals and would contact affected patients when this was completed. Prof Drumm said claims had been made that Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda had left GP letters unopened but this had been investigated and found to be untrue and the allegation should be withdrawn.
The performance of the HSE should be independently reviewed, Prof Drumm also suggested. He said it may be time for the organisation to be reviewed by an independent agency, in order to identify areas where it was making headway and other areas where it was not.
