CEO admits West North West Hospitals group broke tendering rules over controversial report

Galway Bay fm newsroom – The CEO of the West North West hospitals group has admitted the group broke National Financial Regulations in choosing Noel Daly’s company to compile the controversial report on maternity services.
D&F Health Partnership was selected to carry out the review in November 2013 at a cost of 20 thousand euro plus VAT and Noel Daly resigned as chairman of the hospitals group earlier this month
National Finance Regulations require that expenditure between 5 thousand and 25 thousand euro be subject to market testing and that this is carried out through the receipt of three written quotations.
However, in a response to city councillor Padraig Conneely, CEO Bill Maher acknowledged that only one written quotation was received.
The Director General of the HSE has requested that the Internal Audit function carry out a review into the procurement of these services
An internal auditor visited Galway University Hospitals on May 20th to examine documentation and interview various managers at the West North West Hospitals Group.
The internal auditer subsequently reported the findings to the director general of the HSE.
Councillor Padraig Conneely says in light of today’s acknowledgements, Bill Maher’s position as CEO of the hospitals group is ‘untenable’.