Staff at Cork University Hospital avoid attending meetings because they fear being recorded, Health Service Executive Chief Executive Anne O’Connor told RTÉ’s This Week programme on Sunday.
The disclosure emerges as controversies mount over the facility following a leaked warning letter from hospital CEO Jennifer Kearney. Kearney informed the HSE that a shortfall of roughly 1,000 staff rendered the hospital unsafe heading into the winter months. Seventy patients waited on trolleys on Monday at the facility, while nine clinical directors previously wrote to Taoiseach Micheál Martin regarding ongoing staffing pressures.
“What worries me probably the most at the minute is the number of staff that I speak to in the hospital who are really very upset about what is going on, who are fearful of going to meetings because they fear they may be recorded,” O’Connor told RTÉ.
“So, we have reached a point where people are just not working together effectively and my ask of everybody is that we get into open and transparent conversations,” she added.
Dismissing independent assessment calls
O’Connor rejected requests from senior clinicians at the hospital for an independent assessment of staffing needs, despite the earlier appeal sent directly to the Taoiseach.
“To be honest, I don’t think we need it. We can look at the staff complements. We can see the census, We can see the figures,” O’Connor told RTÉ, noting that overall staffing levels at the facility have grown through 2026.
Sinn Féin health spokesperson David Cullinane reacted to the broadcast by highlighting deep concerns over patient safety risks flagged by management, trade unions, and staff.
“The Government has to fund the priority posts that are necessary to ensure that we have safe staff in that hospital over the course of the next number of months,” Cullinane said.
Backing regional leadership despite leaked audio
O’Connor voiced continued support for HSE South West CEO Andy Phillips following questions over a private meeting he held with Kearney. Phillips previously told Kearney that the Taoiseach’s office and the Minister for Health’s office instructed him to hold specific conversations, a claim subsequently denied by the Taoiseach in the Dáil during Leaders’ Questions.
An audio recording later surfaced verifying that Phillips referenced the Taoiseach’s office during the meeting, which misled the Dáil.
“I don’t think anybody set out to mislead anybody. It did happen though and it shouldn’t have happened. It was a heat of the moment conversation,” O’Connor told RTÉ, adding that she retains confidence in Phillips while monitoring regional implementation plans.
Minister Ardagh calls for public accounts committee appearance
Minister of State at the Department of Justice Catherine Ardagh stated on RTÉ’s The Week in Politics that Kearney should be allowed to appear before the Public Accounts Committee to address safety and staffing disputes.
Ardagh said that a Health Information and Quality Authority report concerning the hospital will arrive on the Minister for Health’s desk within weeks for detailed review.
“We will always need frontline staff, whether it is our nurses or doctors,” Ardagh said.
Questions about Cork University Hospital staffing and safety
What sparked the recent controversy at Cork University Hospital?
The facility drew intense scrutiny after a leaked letter from CEO Jennifer Kearney warned that a shortfall of approximately 1,000 staff members meant the hospital could not operate safely during the winter.
How many patients were impacted at the facility on Monday?
Seventy patients were recorded waiting on trolleys at the hospital on Monday.
What did Andy Phillips tell Jennifer Kearney regarding government instructions?
Phillips told Kearney he was instructed by the Taoiseach’s office and the Minister for Health’s office to have specific conversations, a statement later contradicted by audio recordings and government denials.
When is the HIQA report expected to be delivered?
Minister of State Catherine Ardagh indicated that the report will reach the Minister for Health’s table within a few weeks.
Related reading