Madam, - On January 1st, 1987 the Medico-Social Research Board was abolished on foot of an order signed by the then Minister for Health, Barry Desmond. The purpose of the board was "to organise and administer such surveys and statistical research in relation to the incidence of human diseases, injuries, deformities and defects and in relation to the provision and operation of health services as the Minister [ for Health] may direct or as may be approved by him".
In 1976 I had the privilege, along with my colleagues in Central Data Processing Services in Kilmainham, to work on the development of a computer system for the MSRB called "The Hospital In-Patient Information System". Its purpose was to set up and maintain a database of in-patient records for everyone admitted to a hospital in Ireland, noting details of the consultants who treated them, the diagnoses made, and the treatments (including operations) administered.
The reports produced from this database were so comprehensive that they enabled the MSRB to monitor the performance of individual hospitals as well as consultants' treatment of patients in hospitals.
Proper monitoring of the reports produced over a period of time would have highlighted medical malpractices such as occurred in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda and the extraordinarily high number of Caesarean hysterectomies carried out by Dr Michael Neary over a 24-year period.
Two questions need to be answered. Why was the MSRB abolished? Why was the Hospital In-Patient Information System abandoned? It was suggested at the time that pressure from hospitals and consultants who feared having their weaknesses, failures and mistakes being monitored and exposed forced the decision on the Minister.
In the light of the damning report from Judge Harding Clarke, perhaps it is time to have these questions answered and to consider whether it might be appropriate to resurrect the Medico-Social Research Board and give it even greater powers to monitor the medical profession. - Yours, etc,
DEREK LAMBERT, Castleknock Avenue, Dublin 15.