A Tipperary TD says the passing of the Patient Safety Bill was an emotional and personal moment.
Labour’s Alan Kelly TD paid tribute to the late campaigner Vicky Phelan as the legislation passed through the Dáil this week.
This bill will ensure mandatory disclosure so people have an absolute right to know information about their healthcare, and that hospitals, screening providers, doctors don’t keep information from people.
Deputy Kelly told Tipp FM that he was proud to be part of achieving Vicky Phelan’s legacy.
“I am glad that the Minister and the Department agreed with what we requested, we worked closely with Lorraine Walsh, Stephen Teap, and the 221+ group on this now it will be put in place subsequent to it going through the Seanad and being signed into law by the President. It was an emotional day for myself and others, some people came up to watch the legislation going through. But for me this is a critical piece of legislation this is a critical moment, I absolutely had to do it, had to get it done, had to honour my good friend Vicky.”
Deputy Kelly says this was deeply personal to him and before Vicky passed she left nothing unsaid, and asked that him to leave nothing undone when it came to this bill.
He told Tipp FM that while it was a proud moment in her legacy there would be additional work needed when it comes to educating and changing the behaviours of some medical professionals.
“Regulations will be put in place to ensure that this which is mandatory, health organisations and health professionals don’t have any choice in relation to this, and will be in place fairly quickly. There is some training that will be required that is obvious and there is a change of mindset that will be needed by some medics and some people working in healthcare. Being paternalistic isn’t acceptable anymore they are going to have to ensure that where there is any incidence that patients deserve to know about that they will be told from now on.”
