A number of former patients at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda complained to the Commissioner over the manner in which their records had been scrutinised as part of an investigation of former consultant obstetrician/gynaecologist, Mr Michael Neary.
Copies of the records had been sent to a UK based healthcare risk management group and an Irish review group without the consent of the relevant patients. The complainants, who were understood to be sympathetic to Mr Neary, had also criticised the manner in which the North Eastern Health Board had investigated the consultant over the abnormally high number of caesarean hysterectomies he had performed.
While the Commissioner found the complainants "concerned and reasonable" he rejected their claims, concluding: "In a case such as this when a serious matter, with implications for the health and welfare of past patients and indeed possible dangers for current and future patients, was brought to its attention, I deemed that the board had a duty to fully establish all of the facts using whatever expert resources were necessary and indeed in a speedy and urgent manner."
However, he said, "it would have been prudent, if it were feasible to delete all references to patients so that only anonymised information was released".