Independent review team to examine claims of nursing home whistleblower
THE HSE is in the process of appointing a review team to examine a protected disclosure made by a staff member from a nursing home where 24 residents died of Covid-19.
A whistleblower from St Mary’s nursing home in the Phoenix Park last week made a protected disclosure alleging serious failings at the facility to Health Minister Simon Harris and the CEO of the HSE, Paul Reid.
The Irish Independent has learned that a review team is being appointed by the HSE to examine the issues raised.
The team will have an independent external chair with expertise in reviews as well as clinical, quality and patient safety input.
The whistleblower has claimed concerns raised by healthcare workers about the welfare of residents were not listened to.
She first highlighted concerns about the efforts to protect residents in the care home with senior management in early March.
Last week in the Dáil, there were calls for the allegations to be investigated as a matter of urgency.
In an interview with the Irish
Independent, the staff member said she made the protected disclosure so the relatives of those who had died would “know the truth about what happened in St Mary’s”.
“I’m doing this for the residents,” she said.
The whistleblower claimed staff were advised on how to communicate with families in a way that would not cause a panic.
In relation to personal protective equipment (PPE), she alleged there was “stringent rationing” that led to staff becoming infected.
She claimed on one occasion she was told not to wear a mask with coughing patients, and advised to simply stand back.
The HSE said while unable to comment on the particulars of the protected disclosure, testing at St Mary’s was arranged in line with National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) guidelines.
St Mary’s is one of the worsthit nursing homes in the country with 24 confirmed coronavirus deaths.
The home is run by the Health Service Executive, has 150 beds and a separate 48-bed step-down hospital.
The whistleblower has alleged there was a failure to identify, isolate and test residents in a timely and appropriate manner during the outbreak.
She claimed there was a failure to isolate symptomatic patients and that suspect cases were transferred on to clean wards.
On one occasion, she claimed staff were left without any PPE, and waited for four hours for it to arrive.
The whistleblower, who contracted Covid-19, said she witnessed “symptomatic patients, who have not yet been tested, being moved to different wards”.
She also claimed “we had a patient who came from another hospital, with a cough, into a four-bed room.
“I raised concerns on multiple occasions,” she said.
“The whole thing has been very stressful, but I am relieved that the protected disclosure has been made and all matters can now be investigated.”
In a statement last week, the HSE said: “We understand a protected disclosure was delivered to the CEO of the HSE and Minister for Health yesterday, May 6, 2020.”
The statement said the HSE could not comment on the protected disclosure.
“This is an incredibly difficult time for everyone working in St Mary’s Hospital, and we acknowledge that each member of our team is continuing to work with kindness and care, in the most difficult of circumstances, and continuing to prioritise the care of residents.”