Limerick councillors propose centralised system to register a death

IN A WORLD where people struggle to get GP appointments, the fact some surgeries still have deceased patients on their books makes it harder still.

That’s according to Fine Gael councillor Sarah Kiely, who raised the issue of the HSE writing to people who have died with appointments for treatments.

It was agreed unanimously at this month’s metropolitan district meeting that council would write to the health service and the Department of Health to express concern about the management of patient data.

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All members who spoke on the subject at the meeting shared their own experiences of receiving mail destined for a deceased relative or friend.

Cllr Kiely pointed out it creates a problem at overstretched surgeries, where, if deceased patients are still registered there, it can give a false impression of a doctor’s caseload.

“Unfortunately, sometimes years can pass and letters and appointments can still arrive. In my own case, hospital appointments and a medical card came years after my mother had died. This was very distressing for us as a family, and especially for my father,” the City East councillor said.

“Surely in this day and age, an actual database could be set up. This could have PPS numbers when a patient dies to immediately stop the IT system in that organisation sending appointments,” she suggested.

Priomh comhairleoir, Cllr Dan McSweeney seconded his party colleague’s motion.

“Three and a half months after my grandmother passed away, we had a phone call to ask if she can turn up for a CT scan. It really is something which needs to be tackled on.”

Cllr Shane Hickey-O’Mara, Social Democrats, revealed five years after his grandmother passed, post still arrives in her name.

For Labour councillor Padraigh Reale, the devastation of losing his father Patrick just after Christmas, was compounded by the hoops he had to jump through in order to finalise his dad’s affairs.

Post is still being delivered to his father’s old home in Tralee, and Cllr Reale admits that he will have to travel to Kerry to knock on the door to collect it.

“It’s difficult. I would consider myself a capable young man. I can only imagine how a grieving widow or someone with limited capacities might deal with it,” the City North councillor said.

He also said that despite holding a death certificate for his father, he is still being asked for solicitor’s letters - which he has to pay for - each time he wants to close accounts which belonged to his dad.

“It baffles me how in a modern-day society, we don’t have a centralised system that when you register a death, it can’t be noted across the board,” he said.

Cllr Peter Doyle, Fine Gael, said he has “no faith” in the HSE to tackle the issue.