THE SLOW progress by the HSE in implementing aspects of a report on patient safety at Ennis General Hospital is causing concern at the Health Information and Quality Authority.
Correspondence obtained by The Irish Timesunder the Freedom of Information Act shows several letters were sent to the HSE by the authority in recent months seeking information on implementation of the report and expressing concern at the HSE's progress.
The authority’s report on safety issues was carried out after the revelation in 2008 that at least two cancer patients had been misdiagnosed at the hospital. Its investigation, published in April last year, made recommendations in relation to the conditions that should in future be treated at Ennis, about care in the midwest and on improving leadership and governance of hospitals in the region.
However, in a letter to HSE chief executive Prof Brendan Drumm in July 2009, the authority’s chief executive, Dr Tracey Cooper, voiced concerns about the capability of leadership and management in the midwest to implement the recommendations of the report. She urged the HSE to put measures in place to address this.
Prof Drumm said in reply a structure had been established comprising a clinical director, director of nursing and general manager and that an external review of risk management was also commissioned.
In August, a letter to the HSE from the authority’s director of healthcare, quality and safety Jon Billings observed that the “pace of progress” in establishing effective risk management and governance structures had been slow.
In October, Mr Billings wrote again seeking a plan for implementing the report. In its reply, the HSE said it had to finalise governance structures before communicating them to the authority.
Dr Cooper wrote again to Prof Drumm on December 21st last for an update.On January 8th, Prof Drumm told her progress was made and a report on implementation would be forwarded to the authority.