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Defiant Staff Challenged by Children's Health Ireland Board
7 Aug
Summary
- CHI board and HSE battled "defiant" staff for years
- Report found "negative and toxic" work culture at CHI
- Resignations of CHI board members amid controversies
In 2025, the board of Children's Health Ireland (CHI) and the Health Service Executive (HSE) have been battling "defiant" and influential staff at Ireland's children's hospitals for several years, as allegations of a toxic working culture emerged.
Earlier this year, a report found a "negative and toxic" work culture and allegations of irregularities in the waiting list management system within the paediatric hospital group. This led to the resignation of four CHI board members, including Dr. Gavin Lavery, who warned the Health Minister that threats to the safe care of children could not be resolved in the "current climate" and were unlikely to improve in the near future.
The CHI board and the HSE have been challenging these issues for several years, with some successes. However, the "defiant" actions of a small number of individuals have made normal business impossible and consumed significant resources. The board has worked hard to investigate and respond to difficult clinical issues, but the current situation is not expected to improve anytime soon.
