Three investigations are underway at the hospital into allegations of racism.
By Conor O’Carroll.
At least three independent investigations into serious allegations of racism are underway at Cork University Hospital (CUH), Village Magazine can reveal.
In a letter from December 2023 obtained by Village from CUH Group CEO David Donegan, “as it currently stands, there have been three serious complaints made against them, two of which are subject to an investigation which is underway”.
The third complaint, the letter continues, had recently gone through preliminary screening and was due to be sent to Sinéad Connaire, Director of the Nursing & Midwifery Planning & Development Unit (NMPDU) for Cork/Kerry at the Health Service Executive and recipient of the letter.
Donegan wrote that he was “very surprised and disappointed” that the staff member in question was still “onsite delivering an Adaptation Programme” at the hospital as recently as early November
This complaint will require “investigating under the Dignity at Work policy” Donegan says, and “given the seriousness of the allegations that it contains I anticipate a similar investigation being commissioned by the NMPDU”.
Village reported in December that attempts were made by management at CUH to categorise the allegations as “misinterpretations” and that further allegations of racism were made as part of the anonymous feedback surveys introduced following the initial complaint.
A previous letter from Donegan to Connaire from November 2023 also reveals that the CUH Group CEO requested the staff member at the centre of the allegations be removed from the hospital pending the completion of the investigations.
Donegan wrote that he was “very surprised and disappointed” that the staff member in question was still “onsite delivering an Adaptation Programme” at the hospital as recently as early November.
“I was under the impression they were no longer assigned to work at CUH Group”, he continued.
Donegan goes on to say that he feels it is not “appropriate” for the staff member to be on the CUH campus “in a professional capacity, nor training a new cohort of international staff given the basis of the complaint”.
“Whether they are suspended or redeployed is entirely a matter for you [Connaire] as line manager, however, it is my view that they should not be onsite while this investigation is ongoing and I am asking for their immediate removal from Cork University Hospital”, Donegan continues.
The complaints at the hospital were first reported by The Journal which detailed humiliating and derogatory comments made towards Indian nurses at the hospital while they completed the adaptation programme that assesses their competency before becoming a registered nurse in Ireland.
In a group petition signed by 29 nurses, allegations were made against one staff member involved with the adaptation programme.
They allege the derogatory comments made towards them included statements that “Indians come to Ireland only to make money”, and that they “kill Irish patients”.
The staff member is also alleged to have said “Indian nurses spread Covid”, that “Indian nurses make toilets dirty” and that “they do not wash hands after finishing”.
The group letter also claims the staff member “threatened new nurses for joining unions” and from the first day of the programme made the nurses regret their decision to come to Ireland.
A reply to Donegan’s letter was sent by Connaire, however, all records of this letter cannot be found “after all reasonable steps to ascertain its whereabouts have been taken”, according to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request sent by Village.
A spokesperson for CUH did not respond to a question about whether the letter was destroyed.
What is clear, however, is that Donegan’s request to remove the staff member from the hospital was not actioned.
In the letter from December referenced above, Donegan once again requests that the staff member be suspended.
“As the accountable officer for Cork University Hospital Group with a duty of care to all staff, I cannot have them continue to be onsite”, he wrote, noting the “high profile media articles and FOI requests in relation to this matter”.
A reply to Donegan’s letter was sent by Connaire the next day, however, all records of this letter cannot be found
The letter ends with Donegan “requesting their immediate removal from Cork University Hospital Group from close of business today”, and that Connaire confirm that the request has been actioned.
It is unclear whether the staff member was removed as no reply was released following the FOI request.
A spokesperson for CUH told Village: “Cork University Hospital welcomes and benefits from a very diverse workforce and has a responsive international recruitment plan to support service needs. The hospital continues to improve their adaptation programme and has recruited a senior manager with responsibility for the welfare of the candidates and delivery of the programme”.
CUH did not respond to a query relating to whether the staff member was suspended or remains working at the hospital, instead saying: “The Hospital Human Resource Department manages any issues of concern that are raised and do not comment on individual cases”.
