Monday, 23rd March 2015
- In the interests of patients and families, HIQA’s report into the Midland Regional Hospital in Portlaoise should be published as soon as possible.
The HIQA report into the Midland Regional Hospital in Portlaoise was commissioned by the then Minister for Health, Dr James Reilly TD, because of serious concerns about how mothers and families were treated. In the interests of patients and families, this independent report must be published as soon as possible, all other considerations should be secondary and must not block or delay its publication. This is about patients and patient safety and it cannot be about anything else.
Every person has a right to fair procedure and a right of reply to any findings that might affect them. But the threat of legal action by a State body to prevent the publication of a report commissioned by a Government Minister was a step too far. It is welcome that a process for dealing with the report has been agreed between HIQA and the HSE, now what is required in constructive efforts to get the report published as soon as possible.
When the report was commissioned it was felt then and it remains the case now that we need an independent report that examines the hospital and the HSE so that we can reassure mothers and other patients that they are receiving appropriate care. At the most difficult time when parents lose a child they should be treated with compassion by hospitals, the HSE and all staff, thankfully in the vast majority of cases this is the case.
ENDS