Hse Publishes Correspondence With Health Watchdog Over Portlaoise Hospital

Hse publishes correspondence with health watchdog over portlaoise hospital

Fianna Fail says the row over a report into a number of babies' deaths at the Midland Hospital in Portlaoise is an insult to those involved in and depending on maternity services. The HSE last night published letters it had sent HIQA about the draft version of the document, objecting to some findings and the process used in putting it together. In one, HSE director-general Tony O'Brien says it appears it contains more than 250 adverse findings or inferences. Billy Kelleher is demanding Minister Leo Varadkar direct the HSE to allow HIQA to do its job. "We've had Mr O'Brien, the director-general of the HSE, publishing letters this morning on the HSE website about the concerns that they've had with the report and the issues that they raised" he said. "I'm just beginning to think is this now a PR battle? And I just think that's it's very distasteful, it's very destructive - and more importantly, they seem to forget that five babies died tragically in Portlaoise Hospital" he added.