Tag Archives: St Vincent’s Hospital

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We were surprised and disappointed by the inaccuracies and suppositions contained in David McConnell’s letter (May 18th).

There are two points in particular that we would like to correct. First, David McConnell makes a serious allegation that “some years ago” a patient on life support in St Vincent’s hospital was transferred to Tallaght Hospital to facilitate withdrawal of life support.

Mr McConnell claims that this alleged incident occurred simply because the hospital “did not want to facilitate the courts or the relatives”.

We have been consultants in intensive care medicine since our appointments in 1993 and 1994. For the first 10 years of our tenure, we were the only consultant intensivists at St Vincent’s hospital and were responsible for the care of all patients on life support.

Our appointments predated the opening of Tallaght hospital and we can categorically state that no such incident ever arose during our tenure and nor have we ever refused to comply with a court order.

We are proud of the care we provide to critically ill patients in St Vincent’s, particularly since we now have an additional four new colleagues who are also highly trained here in Ireland and overseas.

End-of-life care is complicated and decision-making in intensive care is always taken with regard to the patient’s best interests. In addition, communication with relatives and families is of paramount importance. David McConnell’s inaccurate allegations impugn our professional reputations and the services which we provide and are wholly unfounded.

Second, David McConnell claims that in the past, newly appointed staff to St Vincent’s hospital were required to sign a form requiring them to adhere to Catholic ethics.

We commenced employment in October 1994 and May 1993 respectively and neither of us was required to sign such a form. If this was hospital policy at that time, then the hospital authorities must have made an omission in both of our cases. Alternatively, this policy did not exist at that time, or indeed since then.

Dr Patrick Benson,
Dr Kieran Crowley,
Consultants in Intensive,
Care Medicine,
St Vincent’s University Hospital,
Dublin 4.

National Maternity Hospital and ethics (Irish Times letters page)

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C writes:

“Further to your post yesterday of that delightful sausage roll, I would like to share with you a selection of meals that I have been served during the past year of regular inpatient stays in St. Vincent’s University Hospital. I’d like to see Broadsheet readers digest these. I definitely had difficulty with some of them. Just to note though, the chicken & ham pie, while it looks horrific, was enjoyable to eat.”

Previously: There’s Nothing Like A Nice Dinner

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Watch proceedings live here

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Speaking under parliamentary privilege today in the Seanad, Professor John Crown made further allegations against the board of St Vincent’s Hospital.

Professor John Crown: “The needs of those who require social inclusion, I think also includes those who have held challenges – and in this regard, I must just state in supporting the amendment that in September of 2002, a member of the administration of St. Vincent’s Private Hospital told me that the hospital had been billing VHI and other insurers in respect of drugs which had been provided to that institution for free, for research studies.
In the letter he stated that this was inadvertent and invited me to join with the hospital in making a joint approach to the insurers. Other documents which were provided to me had shown that this was untrue {gets interrupted} … that the billing was in fact..that the billing was deliberate and only ceased when the VHI found out. Incidentally, they found out from me.
The only defence the hospital could attempt was the absurd notion that {gets interrupted} they did not know that their research programme existed in their own hospital, despite dozens of staff being involved in reams of paper documenting its existence. When they were caught out, they next attempted to prove that the research programme was illegal {gets interrupted}. They spent tens, if not thousands of euro, public money (gets interrupted) in an attempt to criminalize a part of their own organisation. As a result of their action – the research programme was closed down for a year – women were denied access to a drug, Herceptin – which we now know was life-saving. {gets interrupted and asked to return to his seat} Though it was not the intention of the doctors, or those who attempted the cover-up {gets interrupted} – as an indirect result of their actions, women died. My hospital, its management and its board failed these women and should be forced to resign.”

St Vincent’s spent “tens of thousands” to cover-up “fraud” – Senator Crown (Michael Brennan, Irish Independent)

Previously: Malignant

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They were dealing.

In cancer pills.

“Documents recently come into my possession which I’m quite happy to discuss and share with the Minister for Health because they refer to money that was fraudulently taken from the Voluntary Health Insurance, of which he is the sole shareholder and of other private insurers”.

…“members of the staff of the hospital had been deliberately and fraudulently charging private health insurers in respect of cancer drugs which had been provided to that institution for free…”

“These documents which show conclusively that there was a cover-up conducted by the management and board of St Vincent’s hospital in respect of this.

“Substantial intimidation was brought to bear at the time that the whistle was blown on this 10 years ago but I believe in the light of new documents coming my way and in light of the increased scrutiny of the public affairs committee that it is now time for this matter to be further investigated.”

“I have long been troubled on many fronts by the way in which the board of my hospital in particular and other hospitals do their business.

“I would like to personally dissociate myself and any research organisations, that I have the privilege of running, from any connection with the St Vincent’s hospital group or St Vincent’s hospital foundation.”

Senator John Crown, a consultant at St Vincent’s Hospital, Dublin in the Seanad today.

Cancer pills.

St Vincent’s Accused Of Cover Up Over Cancer Drug Sales (RTE)

St Vincent’s accused of fraud over cancer drug sales (Maire O’Halloran and Michael Regan, Irish Times)

 Earlier: Putting her In her Placement