The mother of Harvey Morrison Sherratt, the nine-year-old boy who died after waiting a number of years for spinal surgery, has described a report alleging he was mistakenly removed from the waiting list because it was believed he was in palliative care, as a “huge shock”.
The report has been described as “devastating” by Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald, who called for a “full public inquiry” into the case.
The Sunday Times is reporting a protected disclosure was submitted to Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill in August, from a whistleblower who discovered Harvey had been taken off the list because Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) believed he was terminally ill.
CHI later realised this was incorrect after a report from a consultant at Great Ormond Street Hospital (Gosh) in London stated Harvey was suitable for surgery to straighten his spine, the newspaper reported.
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CHI said it was unable to publicly comment about Harvey’s individual case.
Harvey’s mother, Gillian Sherratt, said the claims made in the protected disclosure came as a “huge shock” to her and her husband, Stephen Morrison.
“Even if Harvey was palliative, which I can say 100 per cent he was not, why is that not in his medical records, why was he not linked to a palliative care team, it makes no sense.”
“Harvey wasn’t even on prescription pain relief, which you’d think would be the very least a child receiving palliative care would be getting.”
Ms Sherratt said her son’s medical team “not once” mentioned during Harvey’s treatment that he required palliative care.
She said: “I think we would remember that discussion.”
Harvey’s parents are to meet Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill and Tánaiste Simon Harris at a pre-planned meeting on Monday to discuss terms of an independent inquiry into CHI’s handling of Harvey’s case.
Ms Sherratt said she will be asking Ms Carroll MacNeill and Mr Harris for “clarity” on what the government’s response is to the protected disclosure.
“The first thing I want (the Minister) to do is to get to the bottom of actually what happened - the true version of events — the good, the bad, and the ugly of all of it, we want to know,” she said.
The boy’s parents said, despite repeatedly asking CHI why their son had been removed from the surgery waiting list, they have not been given an adequate answer.
Ms Sherratt said in an X post on Sunday: “If Harvey was given appropriate treatment, if everything is above board, why do we still not have answers??”
Ms McDonald, reposting Ms Sherratt’s X post, said: “Devastating report. Whistleblower alleging Harvey was removed from waiting list based on a false assumption by CHI that he was palliative.
“How could something like this happen? Gillian and Stephen were never consulted or informed. They were stonewalled. There has to be a full independent statutory inquiry. I will stand with them until truth is delivered for them and all the other families #justiceforharvey.”
It is understood CHI was unaware of the protected disclosure and has not seen it.
A CHI spokeswoman said: “We at Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) continue to extend our deepest condolences to the Morrison–Sherratt family on the loss of their son, Harvey.
“Many of our staff cared for Harvey his whole life, and are deeply affected by his passing. We remain available to meet Harvey’s family, if and when they wish to do so.
“CHI cannot comment publicly about Harvey’s individual case. Even if a family decides to make their story public, we are still bound by patient confidentiality for all patients.”
[ Hundreds gather in Dublin to remember Harvey Morrison SherrattOpens in new window ]
A spokeswoman for Ms Carroll MacNeill said: “The Tánaiste [Simon Harris] and Minister for Health will meet Harvey’s family again in the coming days to progress the design of an inquiry with them.”
The minister was legally precluded from commenting on any protected disclosure, and had been unaware of this one, she added.
“In accordance with the Protected Disclosures Act, the Department of Health does not comment on individual protected disclosures. The Department takes its obligations under the Act seriously and has robust procedures in place to handle such matters.
“The Designated Person within the Department of Health oversees this process. Access to such information is restricted to ensure confidentiality and protect all parties involved.
“Under the Act Protected Disclosures received via the ministerial reporting channel must be forwarded directly to the Protected Disclosures Commissioner within 10 calendar days of receipt. The Commissioner’s duty is to transmit reports received under the Act to the most appropriate prescribed person to follow up on the information reported,” she said.
The Tánaiste was unaware of the protected disclosure, said a spokesman and could nor comment regardless, said a spokesman.
His “overriding priority” was working with families affected by shortcomings in paediatric spinal surgery services, “to ensure that an inquiry takes place” he said.
