Calls for cutback exemption for front-line medical services

Frontline health services in Clare should be exempt from proposed Health Service Executive (HSE) cutbacks, local county councillors have insisted.
Proposing the motion, Councillor Bill Chambers warned the 5.2% reduction in spending in the HSE Forum West region from Donegal down to Clare would have an adverse impact locally, particularly on staffing.
Councillor Chambers claimed there would be a loss of 19 beds in the Clare Mental Health Services while the 3.7% cut in disability services locally would result in cuts in transport, residential and respite services.
He said the cut of €1 million in the Ennis Hospital Budget and the 13% or €2 million reduction in the budget for the Mid-Western Regional Hospital, Limerick would have a desperate impact on the delivery of health services in the region.
HSE West Forum member, Councillor Tom McNamara stressed the reduction on home help spending would have an adverse impact on vulnerable elderly people throughout the county.
Councillor McNamara complained that frontline services were being hit by the retirement of 340 key health personnel in the region last February under the Government’s incentivised Pension Scheme, most of whom wouldn’t be replaced due to the controversial national recruitment ban and the need to make further cost savings.
He noted the high-support mental health residential unit in Dalganish, Shannon, was downgraded to a supervised unit while the rehabilitation unit in the community has been downgraded as well.
The retired psychiatric nurse expressed concern that a dedicated purpose-built Alzheimber’s Unit in St Joseph’s was being used by other dementia patients as it couldn’t be used for its intended purpose due to the lack of staff.
He stated that people suffering from strokes couldn’t secure rehabilitation in St Joseph’s Geriatric Hospital or St Camillus Hospital, Limerick, once they were under 65 years of age.
“Health services is about the delivery of services from people to people,” he said.
A number of councillors commented on last week’s Clare Champion story, highlighting the 12% absenteeism rate amongst nurses at Ennis Hospital and the fact that one nurse had to look after 22 patients a few weeks ago, which Councillor McNamara described as unsafe.
He said that increased funding was needed to provide proper staffing levels for a proper delivery of health services.
Acknowledging spending had to be cut nationally, Councillor Michael Kelly stressed the health of Clare people couldn’t be compromised.
Councillor Pat Daly expressed grave concern that highly qualified young health professionals were graduating with degrees but had to emigrate to Australia.
He said it wasn’t fair that Ennis Hospital, which didn’t go over its allocated budget last year would lose €1 million this year, while hospitals in Galway and Letterkenny still received considerable funding even though they continually were over budget.
“The HSE should wake up and look after Ennis Hospital,” he said.
Councillor Pat Keane warned an increasing number of staff in hospitals would be forced to take sick leave due to the stress and strain trying to cope with chronic staffing shortages.
“We should ensure health services are prioritised. Every family uses health services at some stage. As our population gets older, we need to increase our staffing numbers,” he said.
Councillor Michael Hillery warned staff morale in the health service was very low due to the lack of direction from Health Minister, James Reilly and the impact of the national recruitment embargo.
Councillor PJ Kelly noted the salaries, expenses and cost of running constituency offices for every three Dáil deputies totalled €1 million annually.
The Fianna Fáil Councillor admitted he felt sorry for his Fine Gael and Labour colleagues in the chamber because they were now “getting it on the chin” even though they were not part of the problem.
He wondered what the cost of producing light and heat in the Dáil, despite the production of a lot of “hot air” from deputies.
If the HSE could do without 340 health employees in the HSE, officials could state they were surplus to requirements, which was not the case.
Councillor Meaney stressed health services had to be protected and prioritised for the well being of local communities, while issues such as absenteeism had to be tackled.
Councillor Joe Cooney stated some nurses in hospitals were working overtime without pay just to continue the provision of services.
He highlighted the case of some patients who were being forced to wait up to 12 hours in Emergency Departments before they were treated.
Councillor Patricia McCarthy claimed patients were not getting a “proper return” for the huge level of health expenditure as services such as the National Purchase Treatment Fund were being under-utilised due to a delay in referrals.
She proposed that services such as physiotherapists and speech and language therapists should be providing services in the community while a greater emphasis was needed to keep hospitals clean to reduce the spread of infections.
Mayor of Clare, Councillor Pat Hayes pledged his support for a campaign to secure an adequate level of funding was needed to provide a proper level of health services in the county.
Councillor Johnny Flynn estimated the number of public beds in St Joseph’s Geriatric Hospital, Ennis, Ennis Hospital and Our Lady’s Hospital had fallen dramatically from 1,000 to about 220 in a generation.
The Fine Gael Councillor blamed the collapse of the health service on former Health Minister Mary Harney, who had pursued a vigorous privatisation programme while the introduction of the word customer for patient was a retrograde step as it suggested the former could choose when they got sick, which wasn’t the case.
He claimed there was no more people involved in non-patient care in St Joseph’s, which had resulted in a service more akin to a “workhouse” than a hospital.
The HSE has previously stated there were no plans to remove 19 beds from the Acute Psychiatric Unit in Ennis and noted the changes referred to in relation to Deilginis and other facilities in Clare are all clinically appropriate and have the positive consequential effect in some instances.