Tag Archives: Bernard Gloster

The continued closure of long-stay beds and some respite beds at Ennistymon Community Hospital has been condemned as “totally unacceptable” by former Clare County Councillor and local election candidate, Bill Slattery (FG). In a statement issued to The Clare Champion, he said that serious questions need to be answered by the HSE and hospital management as to why vitally important and much needed services are being denied to the community. “A huge amount of money and time has been invested by the people of North Clare in this facility and they deserve a return on that investment,” he said. Mr Slattery recently wrote to HSE CEO Bernard Gloster to highlight concerns about the continued closure of 12 beds at Ennistymon Community Hospital. He pointed out that six respite beds have remained unused in the old wing of the hospital since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. Also, an additional six beds in the newly developed long-term ward – which is …

    The Mid-West HSE Community Healthcare Department has decided to cancel all non essential community healthcare services scheduled for Monday due to Hurricane Ophelia. In a statement issued on Monday morning, the health authority confirmed all non emergency healthcare will not operate  on Monday and the majority of its local buildings are closed. All residential and emergency services will operate as normal and to the best of the authority’s capability in the expected storm force conditions.   Staff colleagues at the UL Hospitals’ Group have restricted all services to emergency with ED and Local Injury Units operating.  Ambulance services are as normal for emergency work. The group  has cancelled all outpatient appointments, day surgery and elective procedures in University Hospital Limerick, University Maternity Hospital Limerick, Nenagh Hospital, Ennis Hospital, Croom Orthopaedic Hospital and St John’s Hospital on Monday. Patients are advised not to travel to the hospitals unless absolutely necessary. All patients whose appointments have been cancelled will be contacted to …

  The Mid-West HSE has been forced to cease dental surgeries in Ennis following an incident in the local clinic. HSE Mid-West Community Healthcare is currently in contact with the parents of up to 43 children to establish if they were affected by an apparent problem at the HSE Dental Clinic in Bindon Street, Ennis. The HSE has launched a full review to establish all of the facts of what happened. The centre has six dental surgeries, of which five were in operation when the incident is believed to have occurred on Wednesday last and continued until it was detected on Thursday. Early indications yet to be confirmed suggest that a drain cleaning product got mixed with the water used during treatment when normally the water would be mixed with an approved dental product. The surgeries were closed on Friday for corrective action and it is hoped they will be back in operation by Monday afternoon or Tuesday morning. Commenting …

THE Health Service Executive (HSE) has confirmed it will challenge efforts by the independent health watchdog HIQA to impose restrictions on new admissions to St Joseph’s Geriatric Hospital in Ennis. HIQA is on a collision course with the HSE over regulatory issues at the hospital, which provides vital public step-down facilities to elderly people. The Clare Champion has learned that admissions will continue at St Joseph’s, pending the outcome of a court appeal being prepared by the HSE. A SIPTU spokesman told The Clare Champion that its members have been providing the best quality care to patients in St Joseph’s. The spokesman explained the regulatory issues do not cover patient care but moreso difficulties in relation to the physical infrastructure, which HIQA have been highlighting for some time. Over the last three years, he said there have been plans to carry out remedial works at St Joseph’s, as well as an overall plan to construct a new facility on the …

An investment of approximately €700,000 per year will see Jigsaw provide a new mental health service for young people in the Mid West. News of the investment was announced by Kathleen Lynch, Minister for Mental Health, Social Care and Primary Care and recruitment of a Project Manager for the Limerick project will commence in February. Jigsaw will provide early intervention and prevention services and also help to integrate existing resources to better support youth mental health. Minister for Education and Skills and Labour TD for Limerick City, Jan O’Sullivan, warmly welcomed the establishment of the new youth mental service for Limerick. “Jigsaw is a fantastic service, provided by the organisation Headstrong.  It is already making a very positive impact on youth mental health in ten communities across the country and I am delighted that my colleague Minister Kathleen Lynch has provided the funding to extend the service to Limerick this year.” “Jigsaw is based on the principle of “somewhere to …

THE Health Service Executive (HSE) has agreed to recruit an extra 14 psychiatric nurses, following 36 alleged assaults on staff working in the Galway Mental Health Service for the first four months of the year. Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) secretary, Des Kavanagh has confirmed that the number of psychiatric nurses working in the Galway Mental Health Service is to increase from 50 to 64. In an interview with The Clare Champion, Mr Kavanagh said he recently met senior HSE managers to discuss ways to address the huge number of alleged assaults that were taking place in the service. He said the union was very concerned about the chronic staff shortage and the reluctance of management to call in additional staff on overtime or to hire agency personnel. Stating that staffing levels were at “critical levels”, he said the High Observation Unit in the Department of Psychiatry at University Hospital Galway had to remain closed due to a lack of staff. …

The planned extension of Raheen Community Hospital is to get underway this August, according to Clare TD, Joe Carey. Deputy Carey said he had received the up-date from Bernard Gloster, manager, HSE Mid West Community Healthcare. Deputy Carey said, “ “The extension to Raheen Community Hospital has the benefit of planning permission and detailed design documents are currently being developed. It’s my understanding that the procurement process for a works contractor is to be progressed over the next few weeks and when completed the project will be tendered to the short listed contractors. The HSE inform me that should all go according to plan, work will commence on site during August 2015. “This news will be of great comfort and relief to patients and their families who rely on the wonderful services in Raheen. This important development will enable the hospital to continue to provide appropriate care in the community for years to come. I want to thank the HSE …

THE Health Service Executive (HSE) has revealed that Regina House in Kilrush  is currently down staff, due to long-term sick leave, but they can still accommodate two palliative care patients in the building. The HSE did, however, confirm the West Clare Mini Marathon-funded palliative care rooms are currently empty. Last week, mini marathon chairman, Willie McGrath said that one of two palliative care units in Regina House was not in current use. The rooms were opened in February 2004 and have benefited from in excess of €180,000 in funding from mini marathon proceeds since the first run was held in 1998. “We have to be absolutely definitive and clear on such a sensitive issue. The following are the facts and we are anxious to assure the public. Regina House has capacity to support two people in palliative care at any one time,” HSE area manager for the Mid-West, Bernard Gloster said. “Today, there are two people in the centre receiving …