Hospital care 'top class': Family of 'cluster' patient

The family of a woman whose case is one of those identified by the HSE as being part of a cluster of cases with poor outcomes, has written to the HSE calling for her case to be removed from a review of these cases as they were very happy with her treatment in Our Lady's Hospital, Navan. The family of the late Jennifer McGrath said her surgery in Navan provided her with great comfort and dignity at the end of her life and it had been clear that it was carried out to relieve symptoms of her terminal illness. Her son and Navan GP, Dr Sean McGrath, said this week her family was angry that her case is being used to try to justify the ending of surgery at Our Lady's Hospital. His comments came as the Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) called for the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) to conduct an independent review of surgical services at Our Lady's Hospital. A statement by a senior HSE official last week identified two clusters of cases as being the basis for its decision to cease all acute and general surgery in the hospital. However, Dr McGrath said they were very happy with the operations carried out on his mother in Navan and were angered at her case being included in the 'clusters'. "We have written to the HSE asking them to remove her case from the review, but have had no response," he said. A spokesperson for the HSE told the Meath Chronicle they would not comment on individual cases. Dr McGrath said his mother had ovarian cancer which last year spread to her bowel. He explained the tumour was so large and widespread she had difficulty swallowing or digesting food. Mr Joe McGrath, who is no relation to the family, one of the consultant surgeons in Navan, carried out two operations on the late Mrs McGrath to relieve these symptoms. "They gave her comfort, peace of mind and dignity," said Dr McGrath. "Her treatment was top class and met all the international gold standards. Her surgical treatment was first class and we are angered she has been included in the investigation," he said. Dr McGrath went on: "John Hyland, an eminent consultant in St Vincent's Hospital, conducted an independent enquiry and concluded that the management of my mother's case met all gold standards. "The HSE are trying to justify the ending of surgery in Navan by saying it is in the interests of patient safety, but this isn't true, they are just trying to cut costs. They are implying that they are quack doctors in a quack hospital. Nothing could be further from the truth. What angers me is that they are trying to blacken the names of three good professional surgeons in order to justify their cost cutting," he added. "Navan has scored very well in the National Hospital Audits. There is no reason for these closures, except to save money." He pointed out that he is a GP and had trained as a surgeon in the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. His brother is also a surgeon, he said, so the family knows what it is talking about. Meanwhile, the IHCA called for the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland to conduct an independent review of surgical services in Our Lady's Hospital. Spokesperson Donal Dufy said the two cases in the first cluster identified by the HSE had been reported on by experts who each concluded that the investigations and treatment provided were timely and appropriate in one case and quite reasonable in the second. "The RCSI is the recognised body for setting standards of clinical care and is best equipped to provide an independent objective assessment of care provided using the protocol developed by the Forum of Postgraduate Training Bodies," he said. A spokesperson for the HSE said reports that a number of reviews have already been completed are inaccurate. "Full and independent reviews of the two clusters of cases have yet to be completed. Due to the sensitive nature of such reviews, the HSE cannot comment further until the results are available," she said. Meanwhile, the Save Navan Hospital Campaign chairperson, Cllr Peadar Tóibín, backed the consultants' calls for the Royal College of Surgeons to carry out the investigation. Said Cllr Tóibín: "This is a very serious allegation by the HSE. If it is true, the situation needs to be resolved. However, right now, all we have is an evidence-free allegation hanging in the air which is unfairly damaging the reputation of the hospital. "This is par for the course for the HSE. Many people feel that they run down the funding for the hospital, then run down the hospital's name and then they finally run down funding again. All this happens while the 'patient safety'-conscious HSE leaves 46,000 people to deteriorate on hospital waiting lists. An independent investigation by the RCSI needs to be carried out as soon as possible to get to the truth of the matter," he said. Two meetings were held in Navan in the last week in order to mobilise support for Navan Hospital. An estimated 250 people attended a meeting on Thursday in the Newgrange Hotel in Navan and up to 600 people braved the rain on Saturday to voice their support for Navan Hospital. The crowds was addressed by the Mayor of Navan, Cllr Phil Brennan, journalist and health analyst Maire O'Connor, local GP Dr Niall Maguire and campaign organiser, Cllr Tóibín.