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THE DECISION BY the Beacon Hospital to provide vaccines to teachers at a school in Bray was incorrect, but was made in good faith, a report commissioned by the board of the facility has found.
The review found that proper procedures were not followed in giving the excess vaccine doses to teachers from St Gerard’s School.
The hospital was the focus of controversy earlier this year after it emerged that it had administered 20 leftover Covid-19 vaccines to a number of teachers at the private school in Wicklow.
Following the publication of the review, the board of the hospital said it retains confidence in its CEO Michael Cullen.
The review found that, on the day that the teachers received the jabs, a decision was made to pierce five vials of AstraZeneca vaccine so that around 80 doses in syringes were available to use.
It said that the decision to pierce the five vials was done in the “mistaken belief” as to the final check-in time for the vaccine clinic that day, and that there were a sufficient number of healthcare workers expected for vaccination that day.
“The Board has considered all the facts that led to the situation arising – including the decisions that were made by clinical and operational staff overseeing the clinic that day, the high volume of ‘no shows,’ and the information re: potential vaccine wastage that was shared with the CEO after the last scheduled appointments of the day,” the board of the hospital said in a statement.
“Having considered these facts, the Board accepts the view of the Independent Reviewer that while the basis on which the decision was made to contact the school was incorrect, it was made in good faith,” it added.
The Wicklow school also faced criticism after it was embroiled in the vaccine controversy. It subsequently issued a letter to parents saying it “sincerely apologised” for its role in the incident.
St Gerard’s said it had been approached by the CEO of the Beacon Hospital and was assured that using the vaccines in order to avoid waste was sanctioned by the HSE.
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A report commissioned by the Beacon Hospital has found that everything was A-ok………
@Sean Higgins: the dogs in charge of the sausages.
@Sean Higgins: Jabs for the boys……
Look after the old school tie
@Paul Monks: Not a bother old boy! See you for a G&T later.
@Paul Monks: roight
I was working in a special class at that time in a county that had some of the highest COVID rates in the country. I just got my vaccine last week. It would have been a big relief for the SNAs and I to have gotten vaccinated around that time. But then again it wasn’t a private school where I worked and I’m not pals with any consultants.
@David Lynch: The old boys club is alive and well
If that was some lowly nurse who gave the leftovers to her mates – there’d be a sacking. Disgraceful.
Beacon Hospital investigates allegations against itself in relation to a vaccination scandal and finds no evidence of wrongdoing? Well that’s a shocker! These people are seemingly immune to the facts…
@William Tallon: One expects nothing else when pretentious gits investigate its self.
@William Tallon: meanwhile a convicted killer found himself ‘not guilty’ after carrying out his own investigation
Oh that was in good faith? That’s OK then.
@Alex Marquis: yes I’m good faith that the favour would be returned. Was a ‘square deal’
Thank God they got it sorted , no stone left unturned.
Predictive grades
Teachers are still expected to be unvaccinated in a classroom full of kids?
FG/FF still waste 25,000 a day to rent out the convention center as they think the Dáil is not safe or big enough
@Dean:What teachers are in classrooms at the moment ?
@EvieXVI: Dean is sending his poor kids to school during the holliers.
The 20 vaccines were given to teachers earlier this year, Evie. Before school recess.
@Dean: Oh, so you meant ‘were’ – and you weren’t really talking about this anyway. Just wanted to complain that teachers weren’t prioritised. Got it!
@Dean: they will all be vaccinated by september or are they 16 Im sure most teachers are at least 24 what are u on about ?
@Sheila McNulty: Aren’t they going to strike in September?
That report has no legitimacy. Does it even ask why the private school where CEO Michael Cullen’s children were attending was chosen as the school where the state owned vaccines were to be used? There are 5 schools closer (state schools).
Michael Cullen is not fit for purpose as CEO of the Beacon. Their defence of him renders the Beacon a hospital that should get zero state sponsorship.
Does Varadkar believe this hospital should get state contracts – his partner works there so there could be a conflict of interest if he defends this hospital.
If you exist in an exclusive bubble then every action you take would be in ‘good faith’. You only need to be reminded of moral behavior when caught out.
Wonder why they didn’t contact De la Salle Ballyfermot. It’s nearer to the beacon. Maybe no one had the principles’ Personal mobile.
BS
This type of nepatism is so pervasive is not even seen as a problem. The Golden Circle scratches your back if you scratch thiers.
Not exactly a Beacon of light. A healthcare provider pays someone to whitewash their lack of morals and we are all meant to be happy again. Is that how unimportant their reputation’s are to them.
Amazing there was no other schools close by nor any Garda Stations. At least the investigation was carried out
What a load of cobblers. A report vindicating an action taken to specifically show favour to the CEOs children’s school teachers. It should be noted that the school is no where in the vicinity of the hospital and actually in a different county. The board is a disgrace. The owner of the hospital will be happy with his chosen board members.
The report is on the Beacon Hospital website – beaconhospital.ie/news/independent-review-statement-and-findings/ Vaccinating any teachers in any school would have been in breach of guidelines, but the CEO didn’t seem to have a clear understanding of what was or was not permitted under the relevant guidelines, which isn’t a great look. He said he didn’t want to waste the vaccines, which I’m sure is true, so he made a “good faith” mistake in vaccinating a bunch of teachers. But from what I’ve read of the report, the question that wasn’t asked in the course of the review is this: why were teachers from this particular school chosen? Why not teachers from a closer school, given the urgency of the situation?
@Mac Muinteoir: Because the kids of the ceo go to that school.
@Kim Prylowski: that’s the presumption. What I don’t understand is why that wasn’t examined in the review.
Happened all over the country.
Ah well that’s ok then so! Carry on.
Complete sham. The golden circle protects it’s own.
No accountability in this country, disgraceful, the first chance the ceo of the beacon hospital had of spare vaccines he gave them to the school teachers at his kids private school in a different county and bypass the hundreds of other options available to him and the hospital which were nearer and more vulnerable and the result of the enquiry is a full pass or pardon and that he acted in good faith and yet again this snowflake country will do nothing about it, if I pass one comment here on the journal not to the other readers liking ye are up in arms and comments are removed but this guy does this and is exonerated with flying colours, almost commended for his actions, joke
I am now going to write to Varadkar asking that we remove all govt funding from Beacon. This is not good and I am mad as hell over it. This is not over.
Nothing to see here, they did what needed to be done in the short window that was available to them. But the holier than thou brigade will protest from their ivory towers regardless. Tis a great country all the same.
@Padraic McDonagh: utter
@Padraic McDonagh: utt
@Padraic McDonagh: apart from the fact that the ceo of the Beacon Hospital didn’t know what was and what wasn’t permitted, and that he told the school in Bray that there was HSE permission to vaccinate those teachers when there wasn’t, there kind of is something to see. You say they did what needed to be done. What needed to be done was to find health care workers for the spare vaccines. That was the only option in line with regulations. The Community Health Organisation that the clinic was for that day had a standby list and could have provided more hcw’s if contacted. They weren’t. Instead the CEO arranged for teachers from the school his kids apparently attend to get the spares. Not the closest school, his kids’ school. But the report didn’t bother to ask why.
@Padraic McDonagh: U must be either working in this school or have children there as u can’t get to grips with a CEO of a private Hospital giving spare vaccines to Teachers in a private school where is children attend at a time when elderly & very vunerable people where so badly in need as there was a short supply & for the Beacon come out with this crap they have no shame
“Good Faith” is like WiFi, it’s invisible but has the power to connect you to what you need….
The Author’s reputation has been self tarnished.
This is why Ireland is deemed the most corrupt state in western Europe…..
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