An investigation into charges by a whistleblower that delays in care at the Phoenix VA Hospital led to patient deaths failed to find that link.

Assistant Inspector General John Daigh told a Senate hearing yesterday, that while the cause and effect pattern was not there, the investigation did find some patients suffered as a result of delays in care.

“We saw harm. We saw 28 cases described where delay negatively impacted care but I couldn’t say delay caused the patient to die,” Daigh said.

Committee members were skeptical, with Nevada’s Dean Heller asking if anybody from the VA influenced the line in the investigative report exonerating it from any deaths due to delays in patient care. Inspector General Richard Griffin denied the VA played any role in the report.