Digital Desk Staff
The Beacon Hospital in Dublin has apologised after a review found it was wrong to offer 20 teachers in a private school Covid-19 vaccines, without HSE approval.
But it says it still has "full confidence" in its chief executive.
On March 23rd, the Beacon Hospital vaccinated 20 teachers from a private school in Bray after 20 left-over AstraZeneca vaccines were at risk of going to waste.
As the Irish Examiner reports, they commissioned an independent review after what happened.
The review found the decision was not in line with the National Vaccine Priority List and did not have HSE approval.
It also found there was an incorrect interpretation of the discretion available to the Beacon to make decisions on what to do with vaccine doses going to waste.
The board says the decision to contact the school was incorrect but was made in good faith. It apologises for the events, and expresses regret at the upset caused.
Full confidence
But it says it has “full confidence” in its chief executive, Michael Cullen.
The review also found the decision to contact the Bray school was taken by Mr Cullen alone.
Back in March, the board of Beacon Hospital has issued an “unreserved apology” and said it would carry out an independent investigation into the decision to vaccinate a number of private school teachers.
In a statement at the time, the hospital board apologised to patients, staff and the wider community “for the upset caused” by the vaccination of the teachers in the Beacon vaccination centre last week.
“The board is proud of the excellent standards of care maintained by our hospital and its adherence to the highest levels of governance and clinical excellence,” the statement added.
“In order to ascertain all the facts associated with the operation of the vaccination centre and in line with our responsibility to ensure due process, the board is appointing Eugene McCague, former managing partner and chairman of Arthur Cox and former board member of the HSE, to conduct an independent review on behalf of the non-executive directors.”
