Longford Leader columnist Mattie Fox: Shame on the HSE

Exactly six years later, after all the predictable legal letters and debate, the hospital, run by the HSE, has apologised and admitted its wrongdoing.

Is this acceptable?

I think not. The stress caused, to families over and over and over is scandalous, and shouldn’t be allowed happen.

The HSE should be forced to take immediate steps to short circuit this ridiculous merry go round of lawyers every single time a case is taken against that body.

It cannot be the legitimate case that a hospital, such as University Hospital Galway, cannot establish whether or not it is really responsible for the untimely death of a child, for all of six years.

When the inquest was held, the HSE refused to accept responsibility.

Just as they do in most serious cases.

Eventually these cases are settled for a sum possibly greater than would have been accepted had the body admitted responsibility immediately.

After all, this is a hospital we’re dealing with, not some garage, or shoemaker.

What part of taking care of people doesn’t the Health Service understand? A child was admitted into its care, and clearly, by the eventual admission of the hospital itself, the diagnosis was incorrect.

Yet, the HSE contested the case, for six years.

What sort of caring, compassionate health service have we in this country? They should be ashamed, to put the parents of this unfortunate child through such harrowing stress, for such a long time.

Shame on you, HSE.