Deputy Brendan Howlin gave me notice of his intention to raise on the Adjournment the subject matter of an operation for a three and a half year old child in Beaumont Hospital. Deputy Howlin has ten minutes to present his case and the Minister has five minutes to reply.
Adjournment Debate. - Beaumont (Dublin) Hospital Operation.
I am deeply grateful to you for your courtesy and kindness during the course of today in facilitating me to raise this most important issue. I regard it as a matter of grave urgency and I greatly appreciate your assistance.
Many Deputies in this House and, indeed, many people all over the country are deeply disquieted that the level of paediatric neurosurgical care available to public patients in Beaumont Hospital has disimproved dramatically subsequent to the departure — indeed the dismissal — of Mr. Patrick O'Neill, a specialist paediatric consultant neurosurgeon who was employed for some time in that hospital.
I have tabled many parliamentary questions to the Minister for Health on this issue one of which was on 14 November 1989, at column 163 of the Official Report and have been repeatedly assured by the Minister as follows:
I am fully satisfied as to the competence of the neurosurgeons at Beaumont Hospital, to provide a high level quality service for all patients and for all conditions presenting and there is no need for any concern on the part of any patients or their parents. There is no medical need for any patient to go to a private facility for this service.
That is the specialist care for a paediatric neurosurgeon.
The specific case that has now arisen is one of extreme urgency. A three and a half year old child who is at present in Beaumont Hospital requires urgent surgery. The opinion of that child's consultant neurosurgeon in Beaumont Hospital is that this child needs the attention of a surgeon holding a certificate of accreditation in neurological surgery but with additional specialist training and experience in paediatric neurosurgery. It is the opinion of this child's consultant neurosurgeon that the most appropriate manner of providing optimum care for this child is that the facility would be made available to allow Mr. Patrick O'Neill MD, FRCS, Certificate of Accreditation in Neurological Surgery to carry out the surgical procedures that this child requires. Further, it is the opinion of this child's paediatric neurosurgeon that the provision of treatment for this child is a matter of urgency.
It is clear that the view expressed to this House by the Minister for Health, by way of parliamentary question is mistaken. The Minister was mistaken in believing that the quality of care available has been undamaged by the removal of Mr. Patrick O'Neill. He was mistaken in believing that services are available in the public hospitals of this country which are equal to those in private medicine. This case highlights that this child needs the specialist care of an individual consultant neurosurgeon who has particular and special training and experience in paediatric neurosurgery. That is the opinion, not of me as a layman, but of this child's consultant neurosurgeon.
I urgently ask the Minister to review this particular case to allow this child to receive what is in the opinion of his own consultant neurosurgeon the optimum care available. I would go further and ask the Minister to recognise that a fundamental mistake was made, to review all the circumstances surrounding the dismissal of Mr. Patrick O'Neill as a consultant paediatric neurosurgeon in Beaumont Hospital and to allow not only this child, but all the children of Ireland, access to his undeniable, undisputed care and expertise which is simply not available now in our public health system.
Mistakes have been made and as dispassionately as I can I am trying to unravel all the background in this case and put it to the Minister as succinctly as I can. Whatever the wrongs and rights have been surrounding this case — there is no need to tell the Minister they have caused considerable disquiet throughout the country — the one fundamental issue remains, that the quality of care available to public patients in our general hospital system has been diminished. We have worsened the care available and that is the view of every parent who has come into contact with Mr. O'Neill. I am sure the Minister, like every other Member of this House, has been receiving letters by the score from former patients of Mr. O'Neill. I would urge him now to intervene in this case and allow this child to have the surgery which he needs and to use the opportunity afforded by this case to allow all the children of Ireland to benefit from the undoubted and undisputed skills of Mr. Patrick O'Neill, one of the most skilled and specialist neuro-surgeons in these islands.
Having listened to Deputy Howlin I would ask, in the interests of an objective assessment, that in relation to specific individuals the information Deputies would bring into the House would be correct. This is the third occasion on which allegations have been made against the competence of the staff of one of our hospitals. This should not be done lightly. I know there is protection in the House but allegations were made on previous days here that certainly would not be made outside and which obviously could not be substantiated as, in my view, the allegations made by Deputy Howlin cannot be substantiated.
On a point of order, I made no allegation against anybody. I quoted from the consultant neuro-surgeon.
Let us hear the Minister's reply without interruption.
I gave the facts.
Please, let us hear the Minister without interruption.
I should like to start by reiterating what I told the House on 8 November in relation to the services provided at Beaumont Hospital for neuro-surgical patients. Services for children in need of neurosurgery are being provided by the consultant neurosurgeons at Beaumont Hospital on referral of patients from consultants in the Children's Hospital or direct from general practitioners.
The consultant neurosurgeons at Beaumont Hospital have dealt with a large volume of children's cases over the years and were responsible for the service prior to March 1988. I am satisfied as to their competence to provide a high level of quality service in this instance. There is no need for people with children requiring treatment to be in any way worried about the service available at Beaumont. I believe it is unfortunate that unnecessary worry is being caused to parents by suggestions that the lives of children are being endangered by a temporary change in the staffing arrangements at the hospital.
With regard to the specific case raised by the Deputy, I want to put the position very clearly. The Board of Beaumont Hospital have not been made aware by the consultant responsible for this case that either or both of their neurosurgical colleagues do not have the professional qualifications, experience or competence to undertake the necessary treatment or that either or both of them could not perform an operation, if required, at Beaumont Hospital, In fact, the neuro-sciences division in the hospital are quite satisfied that the consultant can fully deal with this case. That is a fact and I have the information here to prove it.
Where is the information?
The neurological sciences division consists of a number of consultants——
Were you informed by an administrator or by a doctor?
The Minister must be allowed to reply without persistent interruptions. The Deputy was not interrupted in his contribution.
I have the views of eight doctors: is that sufficient? A detailed review of the case is taking place this afternoon and any treatment required will not be delayed. The Deputy should be aware that the precise clinical details of this patient are not yet fully established and it is premature to speculate on the treatment required or the relative urgency of such treatment.
All the necessary steps have now been taken to establish a firm basis for treatment and arrangements will be made by the hospital to do whatever is necessary as soon as it becomes necessary. I am satisfied with the hospital's ability to deal with this and other cases which have been brought to my attention recently. I want to assure the House that nothing done by the Board of Beaumont Hospital in relation to their neurosurgical unit will in any way endanger the life of a single patient. Yesterday Comhairle na nOspidéal approved the post of another neuro-surgeon for Beaumont Hospital with a commitment to Temple Street and the Children's Hospital, Crumlin. The post will be advertised shortly.