Not possible to meet everyone, says Leo Varadkar

The death of a baby 23 years ago following a botched delivery at the Coombe hospital was only reported to the coroner in recent months.

The Dáil also heard Minister for Health Leo Varadkar confirm he would not meet Catherina and Stephen McGarry, whose daughter Jennifer Anna died in November 1992, two months after a forceps delivery in which her spine was badly damaged.

Mr Varadkar said “it is not possible for me to meet everyone”, with two million patient attendances in the public health service every year.

Outlining the case, Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said that following the baby’s death her brain and spine were removed without her parents’ consent and they only learnt of this in 2012, despite a national audit in 2009 of retained organs and postmortem practices.

Independent inquiry

The couple have on a number of occasions sought a meeting with the Minister and have called for an independent inquiry into their child’s death.

Mr Varadkar said in relation to an inquest or inquiry, HSE legal services had advised him the case had to be notified to the coroner and no statute of limitations applied.

Any complaints against a particular doctor should be brought to the Medical Council, he said. The doctor involved moved to the UK, but later resigned from a hospital position after concerns were raised about his treatment of patients, the Dáil heard.

Mr Martin, who also called for the Minister to meet the couple, described Mr Varadkar’s response as “cold”.

Refused

He said the couple had written a number of times to the Minister seeking a meeting but had been refused, and last month they were told in a letter “there will be no further reply to correspondence on this matter”.

But the Minister said “I have no role in individual cases and do not have access to individual patient files or personal information”.

Mr Martin said: “When cases such as this one come to light, we all have a role”.

Mr Varadkar replied: “There are two million patient attendances in our public health service every year. If one goes back 20 years that is million attendances. It is not possible for me to meet everyone.”

He added: “I meet people where I have a particular role and can add something and there is a particular purpose to the meeting.”