Opposition told Cavan hospital had bed vacant

Dail Report: An intensive-care bed was vacant in Cavan General Hospital when Patrick Walsh needed to be transferred from Monaghan General Hospital, the Dáil was told.

This was revealed during opposition questioning of Minister for Health Mary Harney and Taoiseach Bertie Ahern on the death of Mr Walsh (75) at Monaghan hospital on Friday after attempts to transfer him to three other hospitals for emergency surgery failed.

Ms Harney said the circumstances surrounding the tragedy required thorough investigation, and Declan Carey, a consultant surgeon at Belfast City Hospital and an honorary senior lecturer at Queen's University Belfast City Hospital, would carry out an independent review.

It would be completed and a report issued within eight weeks.

"I look forward to the review answering all the questions relating to this tragic case as a matter of urgent public interests and patient safety," she said.

Paudge Connolly (Independent, Cavan-Monaghan) suggested that a letter of September 15th last, in which each of the consultant surgeons in the Cavan-Monaghan hospital group asked for on-call status to be restored to Monaghan General Hospital for acute surgical emergencies, should have been dealt with as a matter of urgency.

"If the consultants' request had been accepted Mr Walsh's death could have been avoided," he said.

Ms Harney said the inquiry would have to consider why the intensive-care bed available at Cavan General Hospital was not made available to Mr Walsh.

The issue of giving on-call or off-call status to certain hospital services was a matter for the Health Service Executive (HSE). "It is a question of patient-safety rather than of resources," she said.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said the Government was trying to shift political responsibility to the HSE.

Mr Ahern repeated Ms Harney's assertion that there had been a bed available in Cavan and added that the terms of reference of the inquiry would cover the period commencing with Mr Walsh's admission to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda on September 21st until his death in Monaghan on October 14th.

He added that representatives from the HSE northeast area had contacted Mr Walsh's family, and a meeting was taking place. Ms Harney had also offered to meet the family if they wished.

"This is clearly a tragic event, and it is difficult for people to explain. I do not purport to attempt to do so," the Taoiseach said.

Mr Kenny said it was not a case of money flowing away but a man's blood flowing away.

Mr Ahern said the tragic circumstances would be investigated, and the report published.

"I will not get into a position where there will be political accountability every time a person dies anywhere in our health service," he added.

Labour leader Pat Rabbitte asked how the incident could have occurred in a civilised society.

"It makes unbearable reading," he said.

"Regarding policy in health services at the moment, one must come to the conclusion that the service is in free-fall."

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (SF, Cavan-Monaghan) claimed it was the Government's implementation of the Hanly report which had led directly to Mr Walsh's death.

"Make no mistake about it. Up to 16 unnecessary and avoidable deaths have occurred in Monaghan General Hospital over the period since the tragic loss of baby Bronagh Livingstone," Mr Ó Caoláin said.

All sides of the House expressed sympathy with the Walsh family.