GP wants family case removed from review

THE SON of a patient whose surgery at a Co Meath hospital is one of a cluster being investigated wants her case removed from a Health Service Executive review.

Navan GP Dr Seán McGrath told The Irish Timeshe has written to the HSE asking it not to look into his late mother's case because he was satisfied with her surgeries.

The executive is carrying out a review of the files of a cluster of patients who underwent surgery at Our Lady’s Hospital, Navan, which had poor clinical outcomes.

The HSE decided to stop acute surgery at Navan hospital from September 1st due to the findings of a preliminary review of outcomes in a number of cases of laparoscopic (keyhole) surgery.

The late Jennifer McGrath underwent two palliative operations earlier this year after ovarian cancer spread to her bowel.

The results of the surgery were “fantastic”, added time to her life and gave her great comfort in her last weeks, her son said.

Dr McGrath said he was a trained surgeon, as was his late father. He was “entirely satisfied” with his mother’s surgery. He said an independent investigation into her surgery found that it “met all gold standards”.

He said his mother’s case was investigated because such cases should usually be done at a more specialised facility. However, he said this was not a “hard and fast rule”. His mother was so weak that she could not have been transferred to another hospital.