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Hospital Services

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 18 September 2013

Wednesday, 18 September 2013

Questions (1418)

Finian McGrath

Question:

1418. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding an issue in Beaumont Hospital, Dublin. [37759/13]

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Written answers

The HSE has advised me that, as soon as a possible CJD diagnosis was made for a patient in Beaumont Hospital, the hospital quarantined the equipment used on the patient in question and commenced a review to determine what, if any, risk might exist for other patients. As part of this process, advice was provided by the Irish Panel on TSE (CJD) and from world experts in the UK, who have dealt with similar cases in the UK and worldwide.

The review has identified a small number of patients who may have a slightly higher risk of contracting CJD than people in the general population. The exact number involved has not been made public in order to protect patient confidentiality. The relevant experts consider that the risk to these patients is minimal as transmission of CJD via surgical instrument is very rare, with no recorded cases in the past 30 years.

The HSE has further advised that all relevant patients were contacted by the lead consultant on Friday 18 July 2013 and a verbal apology was given to them. Clinics were arranged for the patients to meet with a consultant neurologist and a neuropsychologist on Saturday 19 July, with further follow-up appointments provided to patients if required. In addition, Beaumont Hospital will be providing support and ongoing monitoring for these individuals into the future. There is a dedicated nurse appointed for any follow-up care requirements for these patients and all of the services are provided through the Neurocentre Directorate.

The Government is committed to ensuring that patients receive the highest standard of care in the appropriate settings, be those acute, community or residential. In order to maintain and enhance public confidence in the delivery of a quality system, it is essential that appropriate mechanisms are available should the service fall short of expectations.

There is a formal complaints process for issues concerning individuals or services under the aegis of the HSE. Details of this procedure are on the HSE website, at http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/yourhealthservice/feedback/Complaints/. In addition, advice and instructions for making complaints about a service or an individual may be found at www.healthcomplaints.ie.

In the case of Beaumont Hospital, if a patient or a relative has a concern or wishes to make a complaint, they should contact the clinic where the problem arose. If the issue cannot be resolved to the patient's or relative's satisfaction, they will be connected with the Patient Representative's Office, which can offer information and support and can investigate and help to resolve the matter. Alternatively, the complaint may be made directly to the HSE via the "your service your say" form. When an individual is not satisfied with the response they receive, they may wish to take their complaint further by seeking a review from the HSE’s Director of Advocacy or the Office of the Ombudsman.

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