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LAST UPDATE | 24 Apr 2019
CONCERNS HAVE BEEN raised about dead bodies left on trolleys in the corridors of the mortuary at University Hospital Waterford.
According to a letter, first seen by the Waterford News and Star and the Irish Times, ”due to inadequate body storage and refrigeration facilities, most bodies lie on trolleys in corridors, often leaking body fluids on to the floor.”
The letter is signed by four consultant pathologists at the hospital who warn that bodies decomposing in the mortuary’s corridors lead to closed-coffin funerals, as well as “expose the public visiting hospitals to the odours of a postmortem room”.
Speaking on RTÉ Radio One’s Today with Sean O’Rourke show, one of the signatories of the letter, Professor Rob Landers said that conditions in the mortuary are “quite primitive”.
The conditions, I suppose to put it bluntly, pose a risk both to staff, visitors and public at the mortuary and they afford very little dignity for the deceased bodies that come down to us.
The letter calls for urgent remedial action at the mortuary and postmortem facilities, and was sent to Gerry O’Dwyer, CEO of the South-South West Hospital Group, which oversees University Hospital Waterford.
In a statement to TheJournal.ie, the South-South West Hospital Group said:
“University Hospital Waterford has recently received approval for a new replacement Mortuary Building. It is expected that the request for tender will be issued shortly with the expectation that construction will commence before the end of this year.
University Hospital Waterford is currently examining interim arrangements to address the issues raised.
Dr Landers had said that although funding for a new mortuary had been granted in the HSE’s capital plan in 2013, he had informally been told there was no intention to fund it until 2022 or 2023.
This afternoon, the hospital group updated their statement to say that it was a priority to replace the mortuary at University Hospital Waterford.
“This development is included in the Draft Capital Plan sent to the Department of Health for approval. We would expect to progress to selecting a contractor and commencing construction of a new mortuary in the final quarter of this year, with a twenty month construction programme.
“The design phase of the development has already been completed and the estimated cost of construction is €5m.”
Statement from Simon Harris
The Irish Patients Association said the incident was a “terrible testimony of how those deceased and their loved ones right to dignity in death have been violated”.
“We have called on the Minister for Health and the Taoiseach that as a mark of respect to the families of the deceased that they offer their sincere apologies,” the group said.
The group has also asked the Minister for Health to investigate how this happened.
In a statement to TheJournal.ie, Minister for Health Simon Harris said that he’s made contact with the management of University Hospital Waterford this morning, “who have assured him that they are to undertake interim measures while awaiting the replacement Mortuary Building”.
“The Minister also received confirmation from the HSE that plans for the new mortuary are at an advanced stage and it is expected the request for tender will be issued shortly with the expectation that construction will commence before the end of this year.
The Minister has made it clear to the HSE that this project needs to be progressed as a matter of priority and funding will be provided.
Reaction
Sinn Féin TD for Waterford David Cullinane said what was reported in the letter was “truly shocking”.
He said that the government needs to urgently invest in the mortuary and post-mortem facilities at the hospital.
Fianna Fáil TD for Waterford Mary Butler said: “The fact that four pathologists had to put pen to paper illustrates how frustrated consultants are with the way the health service is being mismanaged by this government. Even the most basic services are suffering.”
Labour Party Health spokesperson Alan Kelly said the reports were “horrifying”, adding that the HSE and government officials must “react swiftly” to the “appalling conditions”.
The conditions described by consultant pathologists in UHW make for absolutely grim, stomach-churning reading.
“A relative passing away can be an upsetting time for any family but to add the conditions in which relatives are getting bodies of loved ones back from UHW is surely adding indescribable levels of grief and hurt into families.
“The scale of the trolley crisis is already demoralising enough for the living, this type of practice must not be the norm for the dead too.”
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Christ that’s grim
@Paul Howlin: Not to mention the disrespect and distress to the families caused by having their loved one’s remains treated so shamefully,this shabby treatment will live with families for ever and only add to their grief and pain.
@Paul Howlin:
Squeezed out like a sponge for tax all of your working life and then left to expire without dignity on a trolley. It’s beyond shameful and a sad indictment on the nation that we let FFG away with such disgraceful behavior.
And it doesn’t stop there, inheritance tax will ensure that these bodies will be taxed again even in ground if they happen to leave any property behind.
@Milk The Drones: This is appalling management by the hospital – terrible practices that have become the norm – their management should accountable for this – but blaming the any government party is a far stretch.
@Anthony Clark:
No Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil apologist is ever going to tell me that we’re not a nation with excessive taxes and a blind indifference towards a decent health system and compassionate care of our sick and elderly.
Grabbing money to then waste it is not governance at all.
And pointing out the same inability of previous Ministers to correct it is to make excuses for it and accept the cycle. It’s this delusional defeatist attitude that suggests we ought to consent to it as some type of expected norm and to carry on voting FFG.
Where does the book stop in your opinion so?
@Anthony Clark: The minister for health has ultimate responsibility, allowing him to shirk these responsibilities is not the answer,
@Anthony Clark: No it’s not. Since 2011 FG’s main focus re the Public Health Service is its destruction.
@Anthony Clark: FG blamed Mary Harney.
@Dave Doyle: Give us any specific example of Fine Gael focusing on the destruction of the Health Service. They have just approved €2Bn for a new children’s hospital. Give us something specific please, not your usual vague nonsense.
@Anthony Clark: A lot of it is to do with the management. They have a new palliative care and hospice block being built at the moment why didn’t that money go to the mortuary and cardiac services, anyone who truely cared would have screamed from the highest point about the stupidity of building a hospice which is for dying people when they don’t have the facilities for the dead now. Plus who in their right mind would leave rotting bodies in the open in a hospital? Ticking time bomb.
@Anthony Clark: minister of health maybe
@richard fennessy: Going on since 2004 Micheál Martin,Mary Harney ,Mary Coughlan, James Reilly, Leo Varadkar have all held the post of health minister since then with Simon Harris the latest. FF and FG have done nothing when in power
@CrabaRev: with the 2 billion its costing the state to build the children’s hospital there will be no health service left in Ireland because of it. they have to fund it from somewhere and like hogan with the water slogan it will be down to a trickle. The are now going to attach a private unit to the new hospital where consultants can hire theater’s or other facility in the main new hospital so there goes the public funded hospital, children with out medical insurance will be put on waiting list while others will get the full use of the facility. so much for a public funded hospital going straight into the two tier system and its not even built yet.
@Milk The Drones: sounds like it should be in a Kabul hospital , just unbelievable but when Harris is still health minister expect more of the same.
@Anthony Clark: rubbish and you know it! Edna Kenny promised to stop the trolly fiasco, didn’t quite happen. Your beloved FG couldn’t organise a piss up in a Brewery without screwing it up.
@CrabaRev: one word. Harris…..no further explanation required
@CrabaRev: 2 Bn is way over budget and it probably won’t stop there. T You offer nothinghe reason the NCH is costing way over budget is because it’s being built to, and for, privateers specs.
Vague nonsense? You offer nothing trying to rubbish comments that point out the harm FG’s policies are causing to people and the services they depend on.
@Leah Burgess: probably because the people fundraised to build it
@Dave Doyle: again Dave any specific examples of Fine Gael’s focus on destroying the Health service. What you posted above was typical vague nonsense.
@CrabaRev: You’re a FG’er blind to reality.
@Dave Doyle: Is that the best you have? Give me a specific example of what you are claiming. But you can’t, because you don’t have any. You are just spouting vacuous nonsense. Calling me “a FG’er” doesn’t change that.
@emer caffrey: Not all of the money was fundraised, only €6 million to be raised by Waterford Hospice they are at something like €4.6 million so far and the other €20 million will be paid for by the HSE. Hospice will only take up 2 floors and there was talk that there will be private wards. They are building this thing when they are shutting down wards in the main building and bodies left to rot in corridors.
@emer caffrey: Forgot to add the morgue is supposed to cost €5 million. That’s €5 million compared to €20 million. Then there is the Cath Lab another €5 million for that and that will save lives.
Harris does it again, scandal no. 46 under his watch and still he goes on…competence is overrated when you have the media training to just bang on about the winning the abortion referendum and empowering women whenever the next scandal occurs.
@Nathan Fulham: I am not defending Harris in any way here but can you name one Minister for Health that did a good job?
@Nathan Fulham: in all fairness, how can Simon Harris be blamed for this? As a member of the Irish health system workforce, I can tell you all of these failings are down to decades of flawed decision making and inadequate planning, not the last 4 years.
@Daniel Lehane: While the public sector staff remain untouchable the minister will get it, start sacking useless public service staff , if not he is in charge, he takes responsibility..
@MickN: The simply reality is that Public sector workers at all levels are untouchable unless you want the whole lot out on strike which will exacerbate the health service issues even more. For change to happen it has to be negotiated with their unions slowly and carefully. That’s just the way it is in Ireland unless somebody wants to take on the unions and no party or TD in Dail Eireann is ever going to take on the unions.
@davey boy: Noel Browne
@davey boy: Charles Haughey. Not a stand up role model for politics in general but did a really good job as health minister. Maybe if his successors had followed in his path, we wouldn’t be in as big a mess now.
@Logan Shepherd: I beg to differ. In Limerick alone he closed down one major and very busy hospital which can in part be blamed for the massive overcrowding and largest number of people waiting on trolleys today.
@Donnachaín Ní Uallacháin: The overall consensus though is that he was a good minister for health.
I’m basing my opinion on the word of my mother who worked in health at the time, and also from recorded reports of his tenure in health.
@davey boy: ah lads you cant blame this one on the minister this is down to BASIC human consideration. No matter how busy a doctor/nurse/porter is they need to have consideration for the job they signed up for. We all have pressures in life but compassion should be a central focus for us all – the state cant be responsible for our own dignity management
@Shane Cormican: Until those people are held accountable the minister is the one in the firing line..
@Logan Shepherd: so
@Logan Shepherd: spending thousands on shirts what a great health minister
@richard fennessy: Yes he was but the facts say he was a good minister for health. I base my opinion on facts.
@davey boy: no Minister for health did a good job but you really have to admit that the college drop out, inexperienced Harris is the worst of all.
@Nathan Fulham: let’s put FF back in charge cus that worked out so well for us the last time !
Waterford hospital has been neglected badly over the last number of years it’s been down graded and massive budgets have been slashed with it plus the whole cardiac care negligence is frightening here in waterford.the south east region deserves better.waterford is the forgotten city in Ireland
@dick dastardly: didn’t Halligan get elected cause of all he was going to do for the hospital.
@Jane: yup, and people fell for it. Yet another example of why in the vast majority of cases, a vote for an independent is a wasted vote. I’m not advocating any one party over another here – there are some that really grind my gears – but I’d still advise somebody to vote for even one if those parties then vote for an independent, if they want to see anything real done.
Thought I was reading about a third world country at first! Absolutely horrendous…shame on Fine Gael once again.
Seems like a perfect crime scenario. No one checking cause of death until the evidence has evaporated.
Oh look, yet ANOTHER Scandal in our Health System.
Can a refrigerated portacabin not be put onsite while the tender process and building of new unit is going on?
What sort of management is in the hospital at all?
@Jane: good point a few refrigerated containers would bridge the gap until such a time the new mortuary is build. Typical government response fix the problem when it’s broken
@Jane: You hit the nail on the head there Jane. The on the ground management and problem solving seems to be non existent.
@In my opinion: If this is really a government level issue you would have to question what is the purpose of the HSE at all? Surely Government should be about health policy direction not about individual hospital management. In the long run maybe the HSE should be scrapped altogether and replaced with a slimmed down unit that is run directly by the dept of health.
@Paddy J:
The Government and previous Governments have done many things badly in relation to the health service. This though is clearly a management problem in University Hospital Waterford.
“HSE should be scrapped altogether and replaced with a slimmed down unit that is run directly by the dept of health”. So you want it to becomes an even bigger political football again?
There is no easy answer to the problems with the Health Service. If a decision is made to close a hospital, locals are out protesting. If a decision is made to open a new hospital all the ministers are out fighting for it to be in their constituency. Decisions of these type need to be made on a needs basis, and this will never happen when the politicians have any input into the Health Service.
@CrabaRev: 100% agree that this is a management issue with UHW. Sadly health is a total political football and agree again there is no easy answer. I have no answer.
As regards the HSE, I did use the words “in the long run maybe” in my comment. I take your point about politicians and health decisions and you are no doubt correct. My thinking was that if the Minister is going to be ultimately responsible as far as the general public (or is that just the social media lynch mob portion of the public??) are concerned for every little thing that goes wrong the dept of health may as well take the running of the actual service in-house.
@Paddy J: Australia has a Health Commission. So isn’t at the whim of a Minister who only caretakes for a term of government. Logic…
@Paddy J: Australia has a Health Commission. So not at the whim of a Minister who is caretaking for a term of government. Maybe that’s too pragmatic…
@Patricia Cormack: Sorry for the multiple post… Just logged in here..
@Patricia Cormack: That would be logical indeed Patrica but such a proposal doesn’t seem to be on the radar of any politician or political party, at least non that I can recall.
@Jane: yep, they’ll park a mobile refrigerator truck where the mobile cath lab used to be, it’s like a Lego patch up job in the south east
This Hospital was built in 1988 which is only 31 years ago and I am very surprised to hear that the Mortary Facilities are so poor. My daughter died in that Hospital in 2012 following a RTA and the trauma was bad enough , I would have gone completely crazy if this had happened to her body as well . Thankfully it did not.
@Aine O Connor: sorry for your loss Aine.
@Maurice Frazer:
Thank You Maurice
No adequate facilities for the remains of people’s loved ones to be safely securely stored
Not enough hospital beds for the living
Lack of mental health facilities for the living and lack of investment in mental health facilities or CAMHS
2 tier hospital planned for NCH
@In my opinion: Vote Fine Gael…
@MickN: they will be my first and only preference. Playing a blinder across the board.
@Mushy Peas: you should consider becoming a comedian, either that or you obtain immediate mental help.
Oh my, I feel absolutely for the families of anyone who has lost a loved one while at Waterford hospital. There can be no excuses for this. I’m shocked that this could happen.
Feel terrible for the staff and relatives, this is not good enough from the government, I know there are legacy issues but can’t keep blaming others. Cutting ribbons, rolling up their sleeves for the cameras, turning the sod, whooping and hollering about FDI, children in ‘family hubs’, dead bodies leaking fluids on hospital floors.
Absolutely disgusting and disgraceful
Speechless
‘Republic of Opportunity’ and ‘Keep the Recovery Going’ what’s the new battle cry again?
Very sad to see such lack of compassion.
When is this government going to be taken down my God they don’t even have respect for the dead.
@Fran O’Keeffe: This is a management problem in Waterford University Hospital. It is not the fault of “this government”
@CrabaRev: I don’t think you can blame local management on this, as this is a capital spend.
@David Jackman: Are you seriously telling me that you think managers at a local hospital cannot come up with a better solution than leaving bodies on trollies in corridors. Come on!
It’s that type of attitude that allows them get away with their incompetence.
@Fran O’Keeffe: FG are too bust keeping the recovery going to sort minor problems out. The saddest thing is the sheep will keep voting for their money grabbing, self-serving shysters unless they wise up at last!
@CrabaRev: how’s the morale in FG ?
@CrabaRev: It’s obvious the mortuary is not fit for purpose. All I’m saying is that local management cannot build a new mortuary without the capital spend from the government. If the government is not willing to do that and have no problem in the over spending of the children’s hospital. What can any of us do?
@CrabaRev: bull
@David Jackman: I know they can’t build a new mortuary, but they obviously can come up with a better solution than leaving bodies on a trolley in a corridor.
This is absolutely horrific for any family to have to face a loved ones body decomposing in front of them .My god have people no shame this truly is the worst case neglect and insensitivity I have ever seen .
A nationwide complete and utter forking shambles, with not even a glimmer of an end in sight. I see that the new HSE boss doesn’t take up his post until 14th May, and wonder who on Earth is “running” things until then.
If this didn’t come out in the press today when was Harris going to announce the construction of the new mortuary. It’s amazing he announces it a few hours after it came to light on Newstalk.
@David Jackman: hope he has nothing to do with the costings…
@David Jackman: wonder what other surprises our rising star Harris has up his sleeve? How this muppet is still in a job is beyond me, failure is rewarded in Ireland.Keep the recovery going lads, we believe you………
The destruction of the Public Health Service is well under way. Dead bodies on trolleys is one of the last straws. The cost of the NCH is down to the privateers having the hospital built to their specification from public money.
How much more are people willing to take?
Another indication of the neglect of Waterford.The hospital hast been funded properly since Hulk Hogan decided the primary care hospital should be in his constituency in Kilkenny.Add to this WIT has had massive funding cuts and is been forced into a merger with IT Carlow to become a TU again playing to the Carlow Kilkenny crowd. Dont be surprised when Carlow is named as the headquarters of the TU even though Waterford is the bigger organisation. Also Waterford has had the least visits from the IDA over the last 5 years compared to the other cities. How much humiliation can the people of Waterford take ,
That is truly disgusting….a 3rd world country would do better. Harris has a lot to answer for, hes the head honcho
Horrific!
Leo this 2019 not 1719 are ye FOR Real
The claws will come out for Simon Harris again. Yes he’s incompetent but in all fairness he’s inherited possibly the most poisoned chalice there is in Irish Politics. In my life time I can’t think of one Health Minister who was actually effective in the role. The problems in our health system now span generations. They’re not new problems by any stretch. This is awful though. Imagine losing a close family member only to find they’ve been left decomposing in a corridor. It really sums up what honest hard working people mean in this country.
@Ross O’Donnell: “The problems in our health system now span generations”, if a problem lasts a year or two it’s a problem, if it lasts generations, it’s a policy. It’s that simple, we have a poor health service, despite how much money is thrown at it, because it’s what our government wants. The HSE with it’s added layers of management and complication, is by design. When the health boards were amalgamated to form the HSE it should have resulted in less admin and management, it resulted in more. It is a distraction, so the minister can point at the HSE and the HSE can point at the minister but nothing gets done, meanwhile we are paying more for less, the two tier system is moving further apart and privatisation of the health service is the goal and ultimate result of all of this
@Michael Wall: nicely put.
I wonder did the FOUR Waterford TD’s know about this scandal? If they did, they should never be aloud to run for office again.
Jesus christ.with all the revenue the government collects how is this even possible in 2019
These people were robbed of their last bit of dignity. Absolutely disgusting
Harris minister for DEATH
This is unacceptable! I’m lost for words. I’m reading this again and again, and I’m still can’t believe it’s happening in Ireland! My country! What the hell next. Will somebody please shut that health service down, and put someone in charge who can right the wrongs and make it work for the people who are paying for it. Stop making these appalling stories headline news for the whole world to see. I’m in the US, send I’ve read this on Facebook and Twitter. My deepest sorrow to anyone, including the staff of the hospital involved.
How does Harris still have a job? How can Fine Gael support him? How can Fianna Fail support Fine Gael? They are all equally responsible. Remember, this is how they will treat you as long as you vote for them. They have no reason to change. You will wait hours on a trolley for medical service and if you die you will rot in the hallway for days. These parties do not care about anyone other than themselves and they have proven this time and time again. If you do vote them back in, you will only have yourself to blame if this happens to you.
Imagine that happening to a loved one. The indignity is disgraceful. Day by day my love for this country takes a knock. Tune in tomorrow for more sadistic twisted story’s from our great nation.
Just when I thought it could not get worse.. it’s a bloody disgrace..the HSE should be sued and disbanded ..well past its sell by date
Disgusting HSE Shameful
I’m not a fan of Simon Harris, but in all honesty, is this his fault or the hospital management fault?
The culture of neglect and arrogance in WRH has been self evident for well over 40 years. I used to put it down to the fact that the old hospital was fragmented with independent units doing their own thing. I thought that when the new hospital was built & opened in the 80s things would improve because of the fact that the whole hospital was under one roof ; but no, the same culture & practices remained, no sense of management responsibility and a poor standard of medical and nursing application.
In fact the design of the building and the lack of foresight applied was self evident from very early on and at this point in time is really beyond redemption.
Pull it down and start again!!
Absolutely disgusting
More of the same ‘we couldn’t give a fig about your family either alive or dead. It’s disgusting to treat families this way. Have the HSE NO HEART AT ALL ????
The HSE needs to be dismantled once and for all. What is the bloody point of preserving with this monstrosity? Another gift from FF and Michael Martin when he was minister for health.
The regions are being starved of funds. Waterford Regional Hospital is a major hospital FFS. CHRIST I’d hate to see the conditionS of the local hospitals.
Mass firings and no pay and pensions. Public servants have written contracts that state they must do their job effectively and efficiently. I like to see that tested in court if putting people on waiting lists to go in waiting list is doing their jobs or starving a major hospital of funds that the dead are decomposing.
Jesus, what the hell!
I really doubt this story is true.
@Mike Conway: Are you saying that the four consultant pathologists are liars?
@Mike Conway: get help
@emer caffrey: think he is beyond help
An independent enquiry would only cost the Tax Payer. It is up to the HSE to get to the bottom of this, If the Minister doesn’t know what is going on then he should not be in this position. Surely the staff at the Hospital can speak up if its true.
An independent inquiry would only cost the Tax payer, its up to the HSE to get to the bottom of this, If the minister doesn’t know what is going on then he should not be in that position.
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