THE IRISH MEDICAL COUNCIL is conducting a three day assessment of the training programme for interns at Children’s Health Ireland (CHI), after a report flagged “unsafe” conditions for students and junior staff. 

A team of assessors visited Tallaght University Hospital and Temple Street today where they met with non-consultant hospital doctors, trainees and clinical staff, “excluding CHI directors and management,” according to an itinerary seen by The Journal.

The assessment comes as it was confirmed today that by 2027 CHI will be subsumed into the HSE entirely.

The Journal understands that most staff in CHI were only informed last night that four medical council personnel would be on site today, and for the rest of the week.

Staff were made aware that under no circumstances could consultants or members of CHI management be present for the medical council’s meetings with junior doctors and trainees.

Report on ‘toxic’ culture

An internal CHI report that became public this year flagged concerns over how a particular consultant was treating trainees.

The report said there was a pattern of “abrupt, unprofessional, intimidating and volatile behaviour towards trainees.”

It was decided that CHI would not have a new intake of trainees in 2022 until problems facing trainees were fixed.

Training at CHI sites has resumed since then, however no inspection process of training standards has happened on this scale at the three children’s hospitals since 2018.

The outcome of that inspection required an action and implementation plan being put in place at the time, but the internal report from January 2022 flagged serious concerns about training conditions in the hospitals after that implementation plan was completed.

The report also said that trainees reported a “negative” and “toxic” atmosphere which badly impacted them during their time interning at CHI hospitals.

They also reported that one consultant had created a “psychologically unsafe” environment.

Trainees felt that they would be “punished or humiliated” for speaking up with ideas or concerns.

CHI to become a part of the HSE

Today the Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill confirmed that CHI is to be subsumed into the HSE, which will also be responsible for the oversight of the New Children’s Hospital.

“The National Children’s Hospital Ireland will be the central hub in the network of paediatric care with links to regional paediatric units, operated overwhelmingly by the HSE. Accordingly, I have decided to integrate CHI into the HSE structure,” she said this morning.

The decision comes after a string of crises and scandals in the organisation, ranging from long waiting times for children’s spinal surgery in this country leaving some children inoperable, children undergoing unnecessary hip operations, and unapproved springs being put into children during surgeries.

Reaction from advocates and opposition

Úna Keightley, the co-lead of the Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Paediatric Advocacy Group this afternoon told The Journal “it was clear to us that CHI was not fit for purpose from the very beginning.”

“Subsuming CHI into the HSE does not wipe away the reality of what families have witnessed,” she added.

Keightley said that a statutory inquiry into CHI’s failings is needed, and transparency is needed on why this decision has been made, as she described it as a “complete U-turn from the Government”.

Sinn Féin’s spokesperson on Health, TD David Cullinane, today said that the Government has rearranged “the deck chairs of executives and board members” and that the decision will not improve outcomes.

“The minister has announced a plan to fold Children’s Health Ireland into the HSE. This will need to be teased out further.

“It is clear that significant changes are needed in Children’s Health Ireland, but whether that will be addressed by merging it with the HSE – which has many of its own challenges – is yet to be proven,” he said.

Cullinane echoed Keightley’s call for a public inquiry into CHI.

UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR Zelenskyy has warned the United Nations that NATO cannot guarantee Kyiv’s security, even as US President Donald Trump suggested Ukraine could now win the war against Russia and retake all its territory.

“Because international institutions are too weak, this madness continues. Even being part of a long-standing military alliance doesn’t automatically mean you are safe,” Zelenskyy told the UN General Assembly in New York.

The Ukrainian leader described his meeting with Trump as “good,” despite the president having previously ruled out NATO membership for Kyiv and clashing with him earlier this year in Washington.

“Of course we are doing everything to make sure Europe truly helps, and of course we count on the United States,” Zelenskyy said.

Trump’s suggestion on Tuesday that Ukraine could win, provided they had European Union and NATO support, marked a dramatic reversal after months of insisting Kyiv would not regain large areas seized by Russia.

Trump addressed the United Nations General Assembly Hall yesterday. Alamy Stock Photo


Alamy Stock Photo

“Maybe even go further than that!” Trump added in a post on social media.

Moldova warning

Zelenskyy also cautioned that Europe cannot afford to lose Moldova to Russian influence, warning that Moscow is using disinformation and hybrid tactics similar to those deployed in Belarus and Georgia.

“Russia’s trying to do to Moldova what Iran once did to Lebanon… Europe cannot afford to lose Moldova too,” he said, ahead of elections in the country on Sunday.

The president further sounded the alarm about a new arms race involving artificial intelligence and autonomous drones.

Firefighters pictured putting out a fire following a Russian missile attack in Odessa, Ukraine Alamy Stock Photo


Alamy Stock Photo

“We are now living through the most destructive arms race in human history, because this time it includes artificial intelligence,” Zelenskyy said.

“Ukraine doesn’t have the big fat missiles dictators love to show off in parades, but we do have drones that can fly up to 2,000, 3,000 kilometers. We had no choice but to build them to protect our right to life.”

Taoiseach: Europe must ‘stand strong’

Taoiseach Micheál Martin met Trump briefly yesterday evening at a host dinner hosted by the US president for world leaders attending the UN General Assembly. 

“From remarks made by the president last evening I think he realises now that President Putin is not interested in peace and not interested in the ceasefire,” said the Taoiseach. 

The Taoiseach speaking at the 5th Summit of the International Crimea Platform, which Zelenskyy also attended today. DFA


DFA

“Despite Trump’s treaties and his desire to see the war end, Putin has responded to those peace initiatives with an intensification of bombing and attacks on Ukraine and on civilian infrastructures. So Europe has to stand strong,” Martin said,

He added that the war “has taken its toll” on Ukraine, Russia and Europe.

“I think any sensible person would want this to come to an end, President Putin needs to respond. Too many young people are losing their lives on the battlefront. It is shocking the scale of loss of human life, it needs to be brought to an end,” he said.

Martin also told reporters that Ireland will continue to provide “substantial support” in the form of humanitarian aid and de-mining training and equipment.

Earlier today, the Taoiseach attended the 5th Summit of the International Crimea Platform, which Zelenskyy also attended.

The Taoiseach said Russia is intentionally intensifying its air attacks against Ukraine’s towns and cities, deliberately targeting civilians and essential infrastructure.

“These are not the actions of a country seeking peace,” he said.

Martin said he is deeply concerned about the reports of human rights abuses in Russian-occupied Crimea and in all the Ukrainian territories illegally held by Russia.

“Russian efforts to change the demographic composition of the peninsula, its attack on the Ukrainian language, culture and identity, and its callous suppression of the Crimean Tatar community must be strongly condemned,” he said.

With reporting from AFP