A report into the death of a 60-year-old disabled man who died two weeks after being admitted to the controversial Leas Cross nursing home in north Dublin will be published, Minister for Health Mary Harney promised yesterday.
She said the report of the investigation into the death of Peter McKenna, carried out by Martin Hynes, former head of the Irish Blood Transfusion Service, which was sent to the Health Service Executive (HSE) last month, should be a public document.
Mr McKenna, who had Down's syndrome and Alzheimer's disease, died in October 2000 some 13 days after he was transferred from St Michael's House, a disability service-provider in north Dublin, to the Leas Cross private nursing home. This closed earlier this year after the HSE withdrew patients from it following an investigation of conditions at the home on the RTÉ PrimeTime Investigates series.
During his short stay at Leas Cross, Mr McKenna missed an appointment at Beaumont hospital and had to be rushed to the hospital a few days later. He died within hours of blood poisoning.
His family, who did not want him transferred to Leas Cross but were powerless to do anything as he was a ward of court, wanted an investigation.
A report into his death was commissioned and the first draft was completed in October 2003 and the final report was sent to the HSE last month. Mr McKenna's family were allowed look at a draft of the report in June and make notes from it. Their notes indicate the report is critical of St Michael's House and questions whether the nursing home had the expertise to care for Mr McKenna. They want the full report published.
St Michael's House has sent over 300 pages of comment on the report to the HSE, defending its actions and saying it made the decision to transfer Mr McKenna "in good faith".
The HSE said last week its legal adviser was carefully examining both the report and the investigation process and was "considering the next steps in respect of the decision on publication of the report".
Ms Harney, who will meet Mr Kenna's brother and sister tomorrow, told the This Week programme on RTÉ Radio 1 yesterday she hadn't yet seen the report.
But she said: "I want to see that report published. It will have to be published. I hope it can happen quickly but obviously I have to abide by the law like everybody else. It will be a matter for the Health Service Executive to come to a speedy conclusion in relation to this matter but, of course, any family in the State whose loved one dies in controversial circumstances is entitled to know what happened, why it happened and entitled to the assurance that it could never happen again."
It is unclear whether the full report or an edited version will be published.