The Dáil debates Cowen’s UHL job

A SHANNON family is not happy with recent HSE appointments following the death of their daughter at University Hospital Limerick, a Sinn Féin Deputy has claimed.
Aoife Johnston of Cronan Lawn in Shannon, (16) died of meningitis after a thirteen and a half hour gap between presentation and treatment where she attended the Emergency Department having been seen by a GP who queried the possibility of sepsis.
Speaking in the Dáil, Sinn Féin Health spokesperson, David Cullinane highlighted a report in The Irish Times about Professor Colette Cowan and her appointment to a new role as a new Integrated Healthcare Area Manager in the Mid-West.
Deputy Cullinane asked if Professor Cowan was among a small group offered such posts outside of a public competition?
“Will the Minister explain why that happened and why it was done outside of a public competition? “ he asked.
“Was the past performance of any individual – not just of one individual but of any individual – who was offered these posts taken into account? The family of Aoife Johnston are far from happy with that.”
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said Ian Carter has taken up this role and confirmed his remit is wider than the Chief Executive of UHL.
“There is a significant disciplinary process underway against the person the Deputy has discussed.
“It would not be wise for me to speak about past performance because one could convey that this is prejudicing disciplinary proceedings. I can say the disciplinary proceedings, which are now against six people in UHL, represent the signal biggest move in terms of accountability in the 20 years the HSE has existed. I am not going to comment on past performance.
“There is a redeployment of CHO leadership and hospital group leadership.
“We are taking out several layers of senior management in the HSE, including CHO leadership and hospital group managers, and we have moved to a much flatter and smaller structure comprising the six regional executive officers.
“The hospital group managers nationally and the CHO managers nationally are being redeployed to other roles,” he said.
Deputy Cullinane pointed out there are families out there who have suffered because of problems in the hospital.
While not apportioning blame, he said it is difficult for them to read that there was a small group offered such posts outside of a public competition.
“Was the Minister aware that those posts were offered outside of public competition? Does he think that was the wise thing to do, given the circumstances? Why was that done?,” he asked.
Minister Donnelly said the redeployment of the senior management within the move to the six regions was a reasonable thing to do and confirmed there was public competition for the six regional executive officer, REO posts.
“No findings have been made against anyone in UHL in regard to the tragic death of Aoife so I want to keep these issues completely separate.”
Deputy Cathal Crowe (FF) said he was struck by the fact that Justice Minister Helen McEntee (FG), and her Department also have people on administrative leave in An Garda Síochána, but they do not move sideways or get promoted.
“When they are on administrative leave, there is a process underway, and that is where people stay until the process has ended,” he said.
“They draw their salary and remain on the payroll but they do not move within the HR structure. Why are individuals in that holding pen, as it were, allowed to move laterally and vertically in terms of promotion?”
Minister Donnelly pointed out the role of hospital group chief executive and CHO chief executive does not exist.
“This is not the same as someone being on administrative leave and simply moving from one permanent post to another. The role that the individual occupied is gone,” he said.
“While I am not a contract lawyer, I imagine that any move in the middle of a disciplinary process, other than what would be taking place, could be argued as prejudicial to the investigation.”
Deputy Crowe claimed it was unusual that people can be promoted and go elsewhere while there is an inquiry relating to their performance in the work.