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HSE to axe bed pans for elderly patients

By Mary Regan, Political Reporter - Saturday, November 07, 2009

ELDERLY and disabled patients will no longer be provided with essential aids such as toilet frames, bed pans, commodes and drip stands in what has been described as a "new low" in crippling health cutbacks.

A Health Service Executive (HSE) circular, seen by the Irish Examiner, shows that aids and appliances costing less than €100 will no longer be purchased for supply to patients who had traditionally been issued with them through community health nurses or on leaving hospital.

In a move described by Age Action as taking away the most basic living standards, patients — including those with medical cards — will face bills of €64 for toilet frames, €35 for back rests, €100 for drip stands and €35 for commodes.

Just months after HSE chief executive Brendan Drumm was awarded a €70,000 performance bonus, the circular was issued to public health nurses, specialist and school nurses in the HSE West region.

A spokesperson at the national office said he is not aware of plans to introduce the measures in other regions.

The letter, dated October 21, said because of its cost containment plan "new orders of aids and appliances up to the value of €100 are not currently being purchased and clients are to be advised as appropriate" and listed the appliances and costs. A statement from HSE West last night said: "Clients or their families will be able to purchase these aids themselves."

The measure was described as "reprehensible" and "a new low" by Fine Gael health spokesman with responsibility for older people, Galway East TD Paul Connaughton.

"If you have an 85-year-old living on their own who needs a commode or something, it would be some job for them to go and find a shop to buy it in and cough up for the privilege," he said.

"That is reprehensible. It would certainly appear that the HSE is scraping the bottom of the barrel and as usual it is the most vulnerable that are being most affected."

Age Action said it was "appalling" that the Government will remove basic living standards from many older people.

Its spokesman, Gerard Scully, said: "Certainly anyone on a medical card or just above the threshold for a card will find it very difficult, if not impossible, to access what is often essential for their living standard."

HSE West said last night it had "a legal obligation" to remain within its allocated budget for 2009.

"This is a temporary measure until year’s end, and the situation will be reviewed on a constant basis," it said.

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