INO conference exposes Health Service in crisis

A LITANY of ward closures, A&E overcrowding problems and appalling services for the elderly have been outlined by angry delegates attending the Irish Nurses Organisation (INO) annual conference in Galway.

INO general secretary Liam Doran said the cutbacks announced this week by Dublin’s five leading hospitals were “the tip of the iceberg” and the catalyst that had provoked members into speaking publicly about local services. He also warned of covert cuts by health agencies around the country.

“We need to be very wary of that, of health agencies cutting by stealth to avoid the kind of outcry caused by the Dublin hospital cutbacks.”

Among the claims made at the conference were:

The planned closure of a surgical ward at the Mercy Hospital in Cork from June 22 to August 11;

A 600-hour reduction in home help services in Dublin South-West;

Patients at Tallaght A&E on trolleys for an average of 16-22 hours daily and up to 40 patients on trolleys at any one time, with the overflow taking up day care beds;

Between 20-40 patients regularly on trolleys in the A&E at the South Infirmary Hospital in Cork, spilling over into the day ward and forcing cancellation of surgery.

A reduction in respite care in the Northern Area Health Board . Families who had enjoyed a week of respite care have had the service reduced to three days and those who had two weeks respite care have had the service reduced to one week.

A 70-bed geriatric hospital (St Brendan’s) in Longford where patients are awaiting transferral to a new €2.8 million facility in Birr, Co Offaly, which remains unopened a year after being built.

INO industrial relations officer in the midlands Kevin O’Connor said the patients couldn’t be transferred because there was no money forthcoming from the Midlands Health Board for bedding or furniture or to fund the 20 extra staff the new facility would need. He said there was an equally disgraceful situation at St Joseph’s 180-bed geriatric hospital in Longford where patients in a 51-bed female ward have no in-ward toilet or shower facilities and have to be hoisted 200 yards down the corridor to go to the toilet or have a bath.

“They are wrapped in a blanket and hoisted down the corridor in full public view. Where is the dignity charter there? These are elderly people who gave their lives to the State.”

Mr O’Connor said the hospital was also without night-time supervision and had very little security.

Mr Doran said that the concerns outlined by speaker after speaker at the conference emphasised the fact that the Government could no longer pretend that the health service was not in crisis.