Government To Bring In New Hospital Reporting Rules

Government to bring in new hospital reporting rules

New legislation is being prepared, which would ensure hospitals and medical professionals inform patients or their families of incidents which are responsible for the death of, or harm to, a patient. The Departments of Health and Justice are working together on the "open disclosure" legislation. The Minister for Justice Alan Shatter says the "open disclosure" legislation would involve hospitals and medical personnel having to inform patients or families of medical incidents that have caused harm to the patient. Addressing the Family Lawyers Association of Ireland, he said he believed that if hospitals investigated any such incidents and admit liability quickly if medical negligence had been established, the reform would be much more beneficial to families. He said this procedure would avoid families having to go to court to prove medical negligence - and the reform would achieve a better outcome for patients and their families without generating large costs to the taxpayer as state agencies seek to defend the indefensible.