System Analysis Investigation - 25. The HSE – Obfuscation - An Attempt to Throw into Shadow!

The Preliminary Assessment Form contains false and misleading information and was not conducted properly as no proper and comprehensive investigation was carried out in order to come to the decision made and the decision cannot be relied upon.

On 7^th April 2024 under my Right of Appeal, I requested a review of the decision of the HSE dated 05.04.2024 in response to my serious complaint dated 24.01.2024. As directed in the HSE ‘Decision Letter’ dated 05.04.2024, I addressed my request for a review to The Director of Quality Governance Patient Safety, One Kilmainham Square, Inchicore Road, Dublin 8, D08ET1W, Ireland with a copy to the Ireland East Hospital Group (IEHG) Consumer Affairs Office and To Whom It May Concern – see my post titled: “System Analysis Investigation - 24. The HSE - Pass the Parcel”.

I requested the review by way of letter sent by email, in particular to state;

And;

MY LETTER TO MS SINEAD BRENNAN, THE DIRECTOR OF QUALITY GOVERNANCE PATIENT SAFETY, DATED 7^TH APRIL 2024;

On 11^th April 2024 at 15.47 pm I received the following email acknowledgement of receipt of my request for a review. However, this was NOT an acknowledgement of receipt from Ms Sinead Brennan, The Director of Quality Governance Patient Safety rather, it was from Ms Barbara Smyth, Patient Engagement and Partnership Improvement Coordinator, Ireland East Hospital Group (IEHG) which comprises 12 public service hospitals in Ireland, one of them being St Luke’s General Hospital, Kilkenny.

Ms Barbara Smyth gave her office address as One Kilmainham Square, Inchicore Road, Dublin 8, D08ET1W, Ireland in her email signature, matching the address I was directed to use when writing to The Director of Quality Governance Patient Safety.

I was extremely alarmed by Ms Barbara Smyth’s statement in her email below; “will revert to you next week with a decision, if the review will proceed.”

It is evident that the HSE were attempting to block my right and legitimate request for a review of their decision dated 05.04.2024;

I responded by email to Ms Barbara Smyth the same day, 11^th April 2024 at 16.35 pm and copied in the generic email address of the Office of The Director of Quality Governance Patient Safety at qpsdirector@iehg.ie and To Whom It May Concern, in particular to state;

The next day, 12^th April 2024 I received the following email acknowledgement for receipt of my email above from Ms Angela Killeen, On behalf of Wendy Buckley, Consumer Affairs Officer, Midland Regional Hospital Campus, Tullamore, Co Offaly. The HSE website states that Ms Wendy Buckley is the Consumer Affairs Area Officer with an address at the Midland Regional Hospital Campus, Tullamore, Co Offaly and states that she is the HSE contact person for public hospitals managed directly by the HSE in the Ireland East and Dublin Midlands Hospital Groups;

Why had Ms Barbara Smyth, Patient Engagement and Partnership Improvement Coordinator, Ireland East Hospital Group (IEHG) asked Ms Wendy Buckley, Consumer Affairs Officer, Midland Regional Hospital Campus, Tullamore, Co Offaly to acknowledge my email to Ms Barbara Smyth dated 11^th April 2024 at 16.35 pm? Why did Ms Barbara Smyth not wish to acknowledge that email which was directly addressed to her and why did Ms Wendy Buckley ask Ms Angela Killeen to do this on her behalf?

Following the above email, I did not hear from anyone at the HSE again regarding this matter until more than three weeks later on 7^th May 2024 at 15.09 pm (which was a whole calendar month AFTER I submitted my request on 7^th April 2024 for a review under my Right of Appeal), when I received the email below from Ms Barbara Smyth, Patient Engagement and Partnership Improvement Coordinator, Ireland East Hospital Group (IEHG).

In her email below Ms Barbara Smyth had cut out the email I had sent to her on 11^th April 2024 at 16.35 pm (see above) from the chain as if it did not exist and placed the email which she had sent to me dated 11^th April 2024 at 15.47 pm directly below her response. Why did she do this? It appears that she did not want to acknowledge the existence of my email to her dated 11^th April 2024 at 16.35 pm, but WHY?

In her email below Ms Barbara Smyth states; “the review of documentation you provided is ongoing” and “will endeavour to respond to you with our decision within the next 20 working day.” Indicating that there were a number of people who had not yet decided if my request for a review will proceed!

This response is clearly NOT following the HSE Complaints Policy and appears to be in breach of the Health Act 2004 (Complaints) Regulations 2006;

I responded by email the same day, 7^th May 2024 to Ms Barbara Smyth with a copy to Ms Sinead Brennan, The Director of Quality Governance Patient Safety at her office generic email address qpsdirector@iehg.ie and others and I also copied To Whom It May Concern (and included the full email trail), in particular to state;

And;

And;

And;

On 9^th May 2024, I received an acknowledgement of receipt of my email (above) dated 7^th May 2024 from Ms Angela Killeen, On behalf of Wendy Buckley, Consumer Affairs Officer who gives an address of Midland Regional Hospital Campus, Tullamore, Co Offaly;

Once again Ms Barbara Smyth, Patient Engagement and Partnership Improvement Coordinator, Ireland East Hospital Group (IEHG) asked Ms Wendy Buckley, Consumer Affairs Officer, Midland Regional Hospital Campus, Tullamore, Co Offaly to acknowledge my email to her rather than acknowledging it herself. Why did Ms Barbara Smyth not wish to acknowledge my emails which were directly addressed to her and why did Ms Wendy Buckley ask Ms Angela Killeen to do this on her behalf?

It appears that Ms Barbara Smyth once again did not want to acknowledge the existence of my emails to her, but WHY?

Another two weeks went past without hearing from anyone at the HSE regarding this matter, until 21^st May 2024 when I received a letter signed by Ms Sinead Brennan dated 21^st May 2024, by way of an email attachment sent from the generic email address qpsdirector@iehg.ie of the office of The Director of Quality, Clinical Governance and Patient Safety, Ireland East Hospital Group (IEHG), which comprises 12 public service hospitals in Ireland, one of them being St Luke’s General Hospital, Kilkenny.

In her letter Ms Sinead Brennan states her role is “Director of Quality, Clinical Governance and Patient Safety, Ireland East Hospital Group (IEHG)”.

It now became evident that Ms Sinead Brennan was part of the Ireland East Hospital Group (IEHG) and NOT independent of that group.

I had submitted my request for a review on 7^th April 2024 under my Right of Appeal and it had taken Ms Sinead Brennan, Director of Quality, Clinical Governance and Patient Safety, Ireland East Hospital Group (IEHG) more than six weeks to respond.

I was shocked by Ms Sinead Brennan’s response and lack of care of this matter.

In my opinion, Ms Sinead Brennan’s response letter appeared to be an attempt to obfuscate and throw into the shadows the serious matters I had complained of.

I responded by email to Ms Sinead Brennan, The Director of Quality, Clinical Governance and Patient Safety, Ireland East Hospital Group (IEHG) on 31^st May 2024 to state that in my opinion: “You hold a senior role within the HSE and therefore, have a duty of care in this matter. Your letter is evidence that you are complicit in the unlawful and morally wrong attempted cover up of the Gross Negligence Manslaughter of my father.”