HSE deems a report on alleged suspicious activities in the CHI waiting list inappropriate for a Garda investigation.
In a series of revelations, a confidential report has leaked, shedding light on concerns about a "toxic" work culture and potential misuse of funding at Children's Health Ireland (CHI).
The report, which was initially referred to the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau, has been deemed not suitable for investigation. However, it has highlighted several issues within CHI, including dysfunctional relationships, challenging behaviour, and complaints of bullying, victimisation of trainees, and defamation proceedings among consultants.
Lucy Nugent, chief executive of CHI, has apologised to the children and families affected by these recent revelations. In response, CHI has accepted and is implementing recommendations on foot of the reviews.
One of the biggest concerns highlighted in the report was about the potential misuse of funding from the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF). According to the report, a CHI consultant was allegedly referring patients to public weekend clinics at the hospital that were funded by the NTPF, in an attempt to tackle waiting lists. The consultant was seeing twice the number of patients in the weekend clinic than during his regular weekday equivalent, and received €35,800 for the weekend work.
The NTPF, which is State funding used to purchase care in public or private hospitals for patients waiting longest for treatment through outsourcing or insourcing, temporarily suspended funding to CHI in light of the allegations. However, the funding has since resumed.
Another report, by UK expert Selvadurai Nayagam, is being conducted into orthopaedic surgery at Temple Street following reports of poor outcomes. This comes after the Health Information and Quality Authority published a report earlier in the year, describing the implantation of unlicensed springs into three children with scoliosis as "wrong".
In addition, an audit on developmental dysplasia of the hip surgeries, published by the HSE in May, found almost 70% of these procedures carried out in two hospitals over a three-year period were not necessary.
In an effort to improve governance and oversight in the hospital group, Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill appointed a number of HSE board members to the board of CHI.
Despite the concerns raised in the report, the name of the consultant investigated in connection with the possible misuse of NTPF resources is not mentioned in the provided search results. As a result, information about how he financed his work in a weekend clinic is also not available.
The hospital group, CHI, has faced a number of controversies in recent months, particularly in relation to the provision of paediatric orthopaedic care. The ongoing investigations and reviews aim to address these issues and ensure the best possible care for children under CHI's care.
