GARDAI PROBE CATHOLIC ORDER AFTER HIQA COMPLAINT

THE health watchdog has made two complaints to gardai in Drogheda about St John of God overcharging residents at centres for adults with disabilities.

The Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) reported the Catholic order twice after discovering the practice of charging residents for medical equipment and other items that should have been free.

St John of God now faces a potential criminal investigation.

The complaints related to Greenmount and Rivergrove residential facilities in Drumcar, Co Louth, which charged residents €2,300 for specialised armchairs and €150 for bone density scans.

Hiqa inspectors told St John of God Services about the issue in September but the watchdog found that the practice continued right up to last November, when a resident was inappropriately charged €54 for a medical device.

St John of God said last week that a review of residents’ finances has been under way since 2015 and was “nearly complete”.

Any outstanding sums owed to its service users will be reimbursed by the end of March.

The voluntary body declined to comment on how much it has paid back to residents so far.

Hiqa recently issued closure notices on four St John of God units at Drumcar.