The Master of Holles Street hospital has rejected any suggestion that the Sisters of Charity will be running the new National Maternity Hospital, assuring that it will be ‘entirely independent’ of religious distinction.

 

Dr Rhona Mahony was speaking on Morning Ireland today, just a day after the Department of Health chose to release details of the hospital agreement between Holles Street Hospital and St Vincent’s Healthcare Group.

 

The 25-page agreement confirms that the hospital – set for the St Vincent’s Hospital site – will be run by an independent board under a new company. This company will operate in accordance with the law of the land, and will have no religious ethos.

 

The agreement further assures that the company will have ‘clinical and operational independence in the provision of maternity, gynaecology, obstetrics and neonatal services (without religious ethnic or other distinction), in the hospital at Elm Park, Dublin, and the provision of medical, surgical, nursing midwifery and other health services’.

 

The publication of the agreement was welcomed by Minister for Health Simon Harris, following the controversy in the wake of revelations that that hospital would be on the St Vincent’s site, which is owned by the religious order, the Sisters of Charity.

 

 

This information has garnered much criticism over the past fortnight. Indeed, former Holles Street master Peter Boylan was asked to resign from his board position, after expressing his disapproval of the move.

 

And he’s not the only one. Shortly after it was revealed that the new hospital would be built on land owned by the Sisters of Charity, a petition was launched to prevent the order from becoming owners of the hospital, too.

 

So far, the petition has accrued over 92,000 signatures. Among other ethical issues, many people are outraged at the prospect of the hospital being owned by an order which has failed to contribute its full share to the redress scheme for survivors of institutional abuse.

 

We will keep you updated on this story as it develops.

35 Shares

Latest

Trending