Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

Sheila O'Connor from Patient Focus was appointed to the board of HIQA, while another member of Patient Focus was appointed to the board of An Bord Altranais. Patients advocates have also been appointed to the boards of the health and social care professionals.

I have established a Commission on Patient Safety and Quality Assurance, chaired by Dr. Deirdre Madden, to advise me on what policies and legislation are needed to further protect patients. We need to accredit and licence the provision of private health care facilities. All these have been done with one concern in mind — patient safety. When it came to the siting of the new national children's hospital, I backed a single location even though a hospital in my constituency was adversely affected. As Deputy Tuffy will testify, I faced a vicious and anonymous political campaign on that matter during the general election. I single out her and Deputy Curran for dissociating themselves from the viciousness of that campaign. I am not an ideological fool or politically naive. I have made these decisions for one reason — patient safety.

I first became aware of the issues at Portlaoise Hospital on 29 August. I was informed the HSE had suspended the mammography service at the hospital. I commend the director of nursing at the hospital who wrote an important letter on the matter on 15 August. Had she not done so, it would still be going on. I salute her courage. We need more people like her in our health system, like the two midwives in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda who were very courageous in the Neary case.

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