Ms Laverne McGuinness:

There is a disciplinary process within the HSE across this and all hospitals and across the entirety of the community services and administration. Every year, a significant number of staff go through the disciplinary stages 1, 2, 3 and 4. Stage 4 is the most significant, where the staff are dismissed from the service. We have a full report on the statistics and it is a matter of holding people to account. It is very serious when it gets to stage 4. We bring in an independent person from outside the region to carry out the process. There is also an appeals procedure and we can provide statistics on this in respect of the people who have had to leave office. It does not get published widely but we do have it. When serious issues arise, which may involve fraud or clinical or various other matters, disciplinary measures are taken.