Sir, – The speech by John McGuinness TD in the Dáil in regard to the “Grace” abuse case has once again highlighted the absence of independent oversight of HSE and Department of Health management.
Frontline doctors and nurses have regulatory body oversight and face public fitness to practice hearings for failings; politicians are ultimately responsible to the Irish electorate. In contrast HSE and Department of Health management have no independent oversight and there is never any accountability for failings.
Mr McGuinness has done the State some service in highlighting this issue, however words by themselves are meaningless. A proper independent system of oversight for both HSE and Department of Health management is long overdue.
Expecting senior officials in either the department or HSE to recommend independent oversight of themselves is delusional. Patient advocacy groups along with representative groups for frontline doctors and nurses have a duty to the people they represent to speak out publicly on this issue as well as lobbying the health Minister demanding that the current two-tier level of oversight and accountability in our health service is addressed.
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Our media also need to start highlighting the deeply unfair nature of the current oversight of our health service. It is no longer enough to express horror over the repeated failings of health service management and then do nothing to address this. If there are zero consequences for Irish health service management failings it is inevitable that those failings will be repeated. – Yours, etc,
RUARY MARTIN,
Sandyford, Dublin 18.