Whistleblowers threaten HSE action: ThePost.ie


TCH Archives > Sunday Business Post > 2007/02/11 > Whistleblowers threaten HSE action

Whistleblowers threaten HSE action
Sunday, February 11, 2007 - By Susan Mitchell
Two nurses who claim that mentally ill patients were physically abused at a psychiatric hospital in Co Louth have threatened to instigate legal action against the Health Service Executive.

Padraig Reilly and Pat Cusack, two former psychiatric nurses at St Brigid’s long-stay psychiatric hospital in Ardee, have made a number of serious allegations against former colleagues.

They claim they were forced out of their jobs and received death threats after they reported systematic abuse at the hospital.

The pair also claim that their allegations were covered up. They have retained Dublin solicitors Lavelle Coleman.

A solicitor at the firm declined to specify the grounds on which the pair would take a case, but said a number of options were open to the former nurses.

Claims of physical abuse of patients at the hospital were first made public in 2002 and a full investigation was ordered by Micheal Martin, Minister for Health at that time. The nurses have described the investigation as a ‘‘complete sham’’.

They claimed they never spoke to external investigators in the case. However, a spokeswoman for the HSE said: ‘‘The allegation was fully investigated.

“A member of staff was disciplined.

‘‘We wish to reassure patients, their relatives and the public that the HSE has every confidence in the excellent service provided by professional and dedicated staff at St Brigid’s Hospital Ardee and we will always properly investigate any complaints made.”

Special provision to protect ‘whistleblowing’ staff who report concerns about health service practices was included in the Health Bill 2006. The lack of whistleblower legislation has frequently been mentioned in the Dail.

The lack of protection for whistleblowers was highlighted in the Dr Michael Neary case, where women had their wombs unnecessarily removed at Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda.

It was years before the issue came to public attention.