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Some vocal people out there don't seem to know the difference between the HSE and the CMO and seem to think the Cervical scandal was all the CMO's fault.
Read more, talk less.
Read more, talk less.
One persisting falsehood against Dr. Tony Holohan is that his April 26th, 2018 advice to Simon Harris not to conduct a review of the Cervical Check process at that time, constituted a conspiracy to sweep into under the carpet.
It's a mind-numbing contention.
It's a mind-numbing contention.
For a start, that's not what happened. Usually something not happening is a good starting point.
But the idea it *could* be swept under the carpet on April 26th is outlandish, Vicky's €2.5m settlement led the 6-o-clock news the day before, April 25th.
Story was going nowhere.
But the idea it *could* be swept under the carpet on April 26th is outlandish, Vicky's €2.5m settlement led the 6-o-clock news the day before, April 25th.
Story was going nowhere.
What Dr. Holohan advised was the same advice he gave in the aftermath of the Portlaoise Hospital scandal - 'let me get the facts ascertained.'
If people remember, that was the January 30th, 2014 RTE Prime Time Investigation into deaths of babies at Midlands Regional hospital.
If people remember, that was the January 30th, 2014 RTE Prime Time Investigation into deaths of babies at Midlands Regional hospital.
Holohan wanted time to get the facts. 26 days later on Feb 24th, 2014 he issued his interim report.
The report was scathing of both the hospital and the HSE.
Far from sweeping anything under the carpet, Holohan's interim report rightly threw everyone involved under the bus.
The report was scathing of both the hospital and the HSE.
Far from sweeping anything under the carpet, Holohan's interim report rightly threw everyone involved under the bus.
Any suggestion that Holohan is a company man trying to soft-peddle anything or save the HSE's blushes is seriously undercut by that report.
Moreover, it's an 88-page incredibly detailed report produced in 26 days, he didn't ask for (or need) years.
https://www.lenus.ie/bitstream/handle/10147/317240/portlaoiseperinataldeaths.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
Moreover, it's an 88-page incredibly detailed report produced in 26 days, he didn't ask for (or need) years.
https://www.lenus.ie/bitstream/handle/10147/317240/portlaoiseperinataldeaths.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
Holohan's topline conclusions were withering:
1. Families were treated in an appalling manner.
2. Information withheld from families for no justifiable reason.
3. Poor outcomes were preventable and hospital knew this and did nothing.
4. Hospital cannot be regarded as safe.
1. Families were treated in an appalling manner.
2. Information withheld from families for no justifiable reason.
3. Poor outcomes were preventable and hospital knew this and did nothing.
4. Hospital cannot be regarded as safe.
Among the key recommendations of Holohan's interim report was for a full review to be conducted and this led to HIQA's review published in May 2015.
In the long-term, lives will be saved by the changes that came from that process and it all started with RTE and Dr. Holohan.
In the long-term, lives will be saved by the changes that came from that process and it all started with RTE and Dr. Holohan.
There's nothing under the carpet in that interim report.
It's entirely reasonable to assume he would have issued a similarly detailed interim report of Cervical Check, if given the weeks by Simon Harris in 2018.
Simon decided time was of the essence and declined his advice.
It's entirely reasonable to assume he would have issued a similarly detailed interim report of Cervical Check, if given the weeks by Simon Harris in 2018.
Simon decided time was of the essence and declined his advice.
The Chief Medical Officer isn't the HSE.
It's literally his job to advise the Minister for Health and it was then Simon's prerogative to take or decline the advice.
That the logic behind a quick interim report was to try to save lives, seems to have been lost from this story.
It's literally his job to advise the Minister for Health and it was then Simon's prerogative to take or decline the advice.
That the logic behind a quick interim report was to try to save lives, seems to have been lost from this story.
In 2014, if a review was called for before Holohan's interim report, it would have undermined confidence in Portlaoise hospital.
The interim report found out the facts *first*, and it found that confidence absolutely *should* be undermined and urgent reviews needed.
The interim report found out the facts *first*, and it found that confidence absolutely *should* be undermined and urgent reviews needed.
If you prematurely (or worse, wrongly) undermine confidence in cancer screening programs - ones that unquestionably saves lives - you're risking way more death, not fewer deaths.
If people stop going to their every-3-year-screenings, deaths won't go down, they'll go up.
If people stop going to their every-3-year-screenings, deaths won't go down, they'll go up.
As it transpired, just like the Portlaoise incident, the CervicalCheck program had issues and Dr. Scally's report highlighted them.
In the long term, that will save lives addressing those issues.
It won't bring back any lives lost :(
In the long term, that will save lives addressing those issues.
It won't bring back any lives lost :(
Any suggestion Dr. Holohan would have soft-peddled the Cervical Check issue, if given the time to write an interim report, seems baseless.
There's nothing in his career of public service that indicates he would do anything to knowingly jeopardize women's health.
There's nothing in his career of public service that indicates he would do anything to knowingly jeopardize women's health.
People then throw out this 2016 memo he saw, and conflate it with "knowing" of the scandal.
His statement of public record is he knew of the Clinical Audit and disputed the rest of it. All cancer screening programs are subject to Clinical Audit's.
His statement of public record is he knew of the Clinical Audit and disputed the rest of it. All cancer screening programs are subject to Clinical Audit's.
Dr. Scally's report into the whole mess found no evidence of any cover-up and fully supported Dr. Holohan's assertions.
So you're left with his April 26th, 2018 advice to Simon Harris, advice he gave in good conscience, to let him prepare an interim report.
So you're left with his April 26th, 2018 advice to Simon Harris, advice he gave in good conscience, to let him prepare an interim report.
So people can run around conflating CMO with HSE, or saying "Holohan has blood on his hands" all they want, doesn't actually make it true.
All it highlights is ignorance.
All it highlights is ignorance.
