It was reported today that Ireland’s Health
Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has announced it will also investigate
the death of Savita Halappanavar.
In a statement this afternoon the independent
health watchdog says that it will assess the “safety, quality and standards of
services” provided by the Health Service Executive at University Hospital
Galway as reflected in the care and treatment of Savita, who died following a
miscarriage last month at the hospital.
The HSE is currently investigating the death but
this investigation has been mired in controversy with Savita’s husband Praveen
Halappanavar refusing to cooperate with it and instead calling for a public
inquiry into her death.
It is not yet clear whether he will cooperate
with the HIQA inquiry.
In a statement today, the health watchdog said
that on foot of a request from the HSE, which was considered by its board this
morning, it will now “investigate the safety, quality and standards of services
provided by the HSE at University Hospital Galway (UHG) to critically ill
patients, including critically ill pregnant women as reflected in the care and
treatment provided to Savita Halappanavar”.
The statement continued:
The investigation will assess whether the services provided complied with the National Standards for Safer Better Healthcare and national and international evidence of what is known to achieve best outcomes.The Authority requested, and received, information from University Hospital Galway and the HSE to ascertain the facts about the tragic case of Savita Halappanavar.Following consideration of this information, the Board of the Authority has made the decision to instigate this investigation.The terms of reference and membership of the investigation team will be published when finalised.
As with any investigation undertaken by the
Authority, and in the interest of a fair and thorough investigation, the
Authority does not envisage making any further public comment until the
investigation has concluded. The investigation report, and its recommendations,
will be published following the completion of the investigation.
It
was also reported that Health Minister James Reilly has held a 45-minute
meeting with the husband of Savita Halappanavar and his solicitor in Galway
this afternoon in the first contact between the government and Praveen
Halappanavar.
The
meeting took place at a hotel in Galway this afternoon and lasted around 45
minutes, a spokesperson for Reilly confirmed.
Despite
the meeting today Praveen Halappanavar has maintained his call, through his
solicitor Gerard O’Donnell, for a full, sworn public inquiry into the death of
his wife.
Mr
Halappanavar has refused to cooperate with the HSE inquiry set up to examine
Savita’s death but it is not yet known whether he will speak with those heading
a separate investigation by the health watchdog, the Health Information and
Quality Authority, which was announced today.