A senior HSE official says a whistleblower’s claim, that he was forced out of mental health services in Kerry after raising concerns, will be examined. Chief Officer with Cork Kerry Community Healthcare Michael Fitzgerald was speaking following a report on mental health services in Kerry.
It relates to treatment provided by South Kerry Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services between July 2016 and April 2021. The report found significant harm was caused to 46 children who were under the care of one doctor, while it also found this doctor's treatment of children put a further 227 patients at risk of serious harm.
The oversight of the team was also criticised.
Whistleblower Dr Ankur Sharma claims he was forced out of the service after raising concerns about inadequacies in mental health services. Michael Fitzgerald says that, when concerns were raised in 2020, action was taken.
This doctor was not available for interview; however, the review's authors believe he thought he was helping the patients and didn't intend to harm them, and that any errors came about due to a lack of knowledge about best practice. Mr Fitzgerald was asked how can that assumption be made when the doctor centrally involved wasn’t interviewed.
There have been commitments to implement 35 recommendations arising from this report. Mr Fitzgerald also says an investigation into the death by suicide of a CAMHS service user under the care of the same doctor is being progressed.
This service user was due to get, but did not get, an appointment in advance of taking their own life. The full report is available here.
