HIQA joins HSE in the sewer of cynical strategies

The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) was set up only two years ago and already it has descended into the sewer in company with the Health Service Executive (HSE).

Just like the HSE, HIQA has now apparently adopted the cynical strategy of waiting for the most opportune moment to bury unfavourable reports (Irish Independent).

It became clear that HIQA had descended into the sewer of cynical strategies when they published the report into Rebecca O’Malley’s misdiagnosis on the day Bertie Ahern resigned.

Nobody knew in advance that Ahern was resigning but it’s likely that HIQA had the report ready and were waiting for the right moment.

It could have been argued that this was perhaps just a coincidence, like all the other amazing ‘coincidences’ in Irish public life but the latest report publications leave us in no doubt that HIQA has abandoned its commitment to “operate to the highest standards of corporate governance.”

The report into cancer misdiagnosis at University College Hospital Galway was published (buried) on the eve of the Budget when it was certain to go unnoticed by the media.

Another report; that of the misdiagnosis of Ann Moriarty, was published (buried) just after the budget and before the Easter Bank Holiday weekend.

Karl Henry, whose wife died of breast cancer a year ago after doctors failed to diagnose her cancer in Ennis General Hospital, said:

“It is a cheap stunt. Are we being taken for complete and utter fools?”

Unfortunately, we are being taken for complete fools. The person/s in HIQA who are responsible for publishing these reports are probably congratulating themselves on how clever they are as they head off to enjoy the long weekend.

By next week it’s likely that their betrayal of the people they claim to serve will be forgotten as they consider how best to bury the next report.

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