Tag Archives: HSE

THE HSE has moved to address a number of breaches that were identified during a recent inspection of the acute psychiatric unit in Ennis Hospital. The Mental Health Commission 2015 annual inspection at the unit took place on October 27, 28 and 29 last. In relation to the premises, inspectors pointed out that no remedial action was taken, following an audit of a significant number of ligature points within the approved centre. “The toilets and shower rooms were not of an adequate standard and were in a poor state of repair: no remedial works had taken place since the last inspection. “They had poor ventilation, unsuitable flooring, missing tiles, crumbling plasterwork and a poor standard of hygiene. One bathroom was malodourous on inspection.” Moving to the high observation unit, the report said this area was “ in a poor state of repair, the door from the nurses’ office could not be used and the window of the door was boarded up. …

The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) has welcomed the proposals to increase wages for students’ nurses and midwives. The proposals are to come into effect on March 1 after joint efforts of SIPTU nursing the Department of Health, PNA, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, independent facilitator Sean McHugh, HSE and INMO, with supporting research by USI. The USI found that 93% of student nurses have thought about emigrating when they qualify. USI are hopeful that this number will decrease once the pay increases come into effect. Student nurses and midwives are currently paid below the minimum wage at a rate of €6.49 an hour. “USI welcomes the action by the Government to relieve the strain on financially crippled student nurses,” Kevin Donoghue, USI president, said. “I read about one nursing student who was paid just €374 after tax for working 114 hours in three weeks, which equates to a mere €3.28 an hour. This change in the …

Independent General Election candidate Ann Norton says the HSE should “admit its failings” over its decision to downgrade Ennis and Nenagh General Hospitals in light of its apology over the weekend in relation to overcrowding problems at University Hospital Limerick. Councillor Norton was speaking ahead of an RTE Prime Time Investigates programme on the overcrowding crisis in Irish hospitals, which airs at 9.30pm tonight (Monday). The long time campaigner for better health services said that the “hellish” overcrowding crisis at UHL can only be resolved through a breakdown of the “top heavy” management structure within the HSE as well as the upgrading of Ennis and Nenagh Hospitals to ‘model three’ facilities. “The high patient fatality rates and overcrowding problems are simply down to the poor management of our health services by a Health Service Executive that places greater value on maintaining a top-heavy management structure than the welfare

THE HSE is being asked to explain why it has not appointed a paediatric surgeon in the Mid-West, despite a suggestion to do so, following the death of a two-year-old Clare child more than a decade ago. The call has been made by Clare Independent General Election candidate Ann Norton, who said the family of the late Shannon Canny from Kilkishen feel “let down” by the health service over its failure to act on the suggestion. Councillor Norton, who manages the Clare Crusaders Children’s Clinic in Barefield, said hundreds of Clare children have to travel to Crumlin Children’s Hospital and Temple Street Children’s Hospital in Dublin for surgical procedures, despite the “presence of a supposed Centre of Excellence in the Mid-west”. An inquest into Shannon’s death on January 7, 2005 found that she died from tissue necrosis due to complications of the twisting of the bowel. According to Councillor Norton, “In the aftermath of the inquest, Professor Pierce Grace, a …

VISITOR restrictions remain in force at University Hospital Limerick this Tuesday and every precaution is being taken in the context of the current high incidence of flu in the Mid-West. Nationally, the influenza-like illness (ILI) consultation rate per 100,000 of the population has increased steadily since January of this year. And the ILI consultation rate per 100,000 in the MidWest was double the national rate for the week ending February 7. This is being reflected in the hospital population and UHL can confirm that it currently has 19 confirmed and four suspected cases of influenza A.Every precaution is being taken in this busy flu season and management and staff are working with their community colleagues to monitor, treat and contain instances of flu-like illness. To ensure that we are able to protect vulnerable patients, UL Hospitals Group are asking people who are considering visiting a friend or relative at UHL to ensure they do not visit if they have flu-like …

THE lack of in-patient beds for young people with mental health issues has been highlighted by Councillor Ann Norton. “There is no bed capacity in Limerick for young people with mental health issues, there is a considerable waiting list for mental health assessments and there is an absolute lack of available counsellors, publicly or privately, for young people,” she claimed. “The Government cannot on one hand claim that young people are the future of this country and, on the other hand, ignore their plight,” she said. She has requested that the HSE assume a more direct role in the provision of mental health services to counteract the “epidemic” of suicide, warning that the number of officially reported suicide cases is “a mere scratching of the surface” in terms of the actual number of deaths occurring. “Suicide is a growing problem in this country, irrespective of what the Central Statistics Office figures show. Depression does not discriminate on the basis of …

THE Union of Students in Ireland (USI) has issued a warning to young people to stay away from the ‘designer drug’ 2CB after six people were hospitalised following its consumption at a house party in Cork. According to the 2015 National Student Drug Survey, 82% of students have at some point used illegal drugs. Ninety-four percent of the 2,701 people surveyed who said they have used drugs in their lifetime have shared drugs with another person. USI said that we need to acknowledge that drug use happens but the key to keeping young people safe is through education. “We need to recognise that drug use happens and young people experiment.” Kevin Donoghue, USI president, said. “We need to ensure that young people are being educated on the risks in a way that is relative to them. That is how we keep them safe – by arming them with information. “The ‘just say no’ campaign simply doesn’t work. Young people don’t …

BELEAGUERED rural Ireland is facing another serious crisis, which could see doctors and their GP services being withdrawn in many areas. The warning has been sounded by West Clare-based Dr Michael Kelleher, who is a member of the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) Committee. “Rural Ireland has long been neglected by different governments and we’ve all seen the desperate consequences as garda stations closed, post offices were shut down, hospital services were downgraded and so many other critical services were withdrawn from rural communities,” he observed. “This [medical] crisis has being developing slowly over a number of years; cuts that this Government (and the last one) made to the budget for general practice has hit rural GPs harder than most. The population of rural GPs is getting older and as more retire or pass away, there are fewer and fewer young GPs interested in taking on the job when the resources just aren’t available to provide a proper service. Already there …