HEALTH Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill has expressed confidence in the “refreshed team” at scandal-hit CHI to take over the €2 billion National Children’s Hospital.
Top executives from Children’s Health Ireland were blasted by TDs and Senators last week over the series of scandals that have rocked public confidence in our health service for kids.
Jennifer Carroll MacNeill has expressed confidence in the new team at CHI[/caption]
The Dail’s Health Committee grilled officials over issues including children waiting too long for scoliosis surgeries, non-medical springs being implanted in kids, and hundreds of children getting hip operations that they may not have needed.
The latest scandal to hit CHI has seen the HSE forced to call the gardai to investigate an internal report into financial practices when it comes to managing waiting lists.
Last week, several members of the Health Committee said they did not have confidence in CHI to take on the new National Children’s Hospital, which is due to be handed over to the body later this year.
Some members of the Committee singled out former CEO Eilish Hardiman – who is now in the new position of Strategic Programme Director at CHI – for criticism as she was in charge when these scandals occurred.
Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill today backed a “refreshed” CHI executive team to take over and run the new National Children’s Hospital.
She told the Irish Sun: “Lucy Nugent is a new CEO who is there since February which is a very short period.
“She has hired a deputy CEO who is due to start very shortly in the next couple of weeks and a new COO who has just started and whose first task will be looking at the bigger issues in the hospital like productivity on scoliosis lists.
“So that is a brand new team.”
The Minister also highlighted that she is in the process of “refreshing the board” at CHI with two new members appointed recently and another two new members due to be appointed in the coming days.
The Minister met with CHI CEO Lucy Nugent earlier this week to discuss the move to the new National Children’s Hospital and the series of issues that have rocked confidence in the health executive in recent months.
Speaking as she attended the World Tobacco Control Conference in Dublin, Minister Carroll MacNeill said: “I feel I have had a very good meeting with Lucy Nugent who is the CEO.
“I feel I have appointed two new board members in the last number of weeks, I appointed two when I came in as Minister for Health and I will appoint two more in the coming days.
“So there is a very different and very refreshed team at executive and at Board level.”
Our Kids Can’t Wait Campaign
WAITING lists in Ireland have long been a national disgrace.
More than 106,000 children are on hospital waiting lists for all treatments. However, a new source of shame has emerged as 327 children wait for life changing spinal surgeries.
Their conditions are getting worse while they languish on waiting lists.
Such are the delays, many child patients will be outside the therapeutic window when their treatments are approved.
Earlier this month, the Seanad heard how at least one child has become permanently paralysed since the issue was raised publicly before Christmas.
Their plight has been spearheaded by campaigning Senator Tom Clonan, who himself has a child with a disability.
Former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has even admitted that the health service is failing these kids.
Children are being allowed to deteriorate due to mismanagement, which has allowed the waiting lists to grow.
The Irish Sun’s Kids Can’t Wait campaign aims to shine a light on how the State is failing sick children and give their families a voice.
It will also force the Government to do something to clear the backlog of operations and give these children a chance of living a normal life.
Pressed on former CEO Hardiman remaining at CHI, the Minister was guarded.
Asked if it was appropriate for Hardiman to remain at CHI, the Minister said: “I recognise that is a process that predates me and that was the subject of an industrial relations exercise so it is not for me to speak on that any further.
“But what I will emphasise is that my relationship and the governance relationship is between me, the Board and the CEO.”
