Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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648. To ask the Minister for Health the hospitals that have implemented the Health Service Executive open disclosure policy; the timeline for its roll-out out across all maternity units and hospitals respectively; if he intends to put the disclosure policy on a statutory basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6856/14]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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A National Policy on Open Disclosure was developed jointly by the HSE and the State Claims Agency and launched in November 2013. The Policy is designed to ensure an open, consistent approach to communicating with patients when things go wrong in healthcare. Roll-out of the policy across all health and social services has now commenced. An implementation plan has been developed: Phase 1: Acute Hospitals, Phase 2: PCCC and Phase 3: Colleges and Educational Institutes. Two Project Leads are now working with 15 acute hospitals and a pilot programme is also running in one PCCC area (Donegal). By its nature the training for and full implementation of the policy will take time and will not be immediately fully in place in all sites at a given date.

I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy with the specific information sought regarding the roll-out of the policy across maternity units and all hospitals respectively.

Ireland currently has no express protective legislation to assist the open disclosure process; it is envisaged that this status will change in the near future. It is anticipated that the upcoming Health Information Bill will contain provisions promoting open disclosure and affording some degree of protection for healthcare personnel. This is consistent with a recommendation in a consultation paper published by the Law Reform Commission in 2008 that "a statutory provision be considered which would allow medical practitioners to make an apology and explanation without these being construed as an admission of liability in a medical negligence claim".