Nurses warn of TB threat if patients moved

NURSES have warned of a TB threat if patients treated in a specialist clinic are transferred to already overcrowded general hospitals.

Peamount Hospital in Newcastle, Co Dublin, is proposing to phase out the provision of all chest/respiratory services from January 2004.

Today nurses at Peamount who are members of the Irish Nurses Organisation (INO) will stage a lunchtime protest outside the hospital's gates to increase awareness about the development.

It is understood the hospital is finalising plans to terminate the services but has stressed there was no question of other patients being put at risk.

INO industrial relations officer Colette Mullins said nurses at the hospital were at a loss to understand why the vital services were to be discontinued.

"They are the ones treating patients infected with TB every day chronic TB patients, multi-drug resistant TB patients and non- compliant TB patients," Ms Mullins said.

Also affected will be patients with lung cancer, chronic obstructive airways diseases, asthma and other chest/respiratory diseases.

Ms Mullins said her members believed that stopping chest/respiratory services at the hospital would have serious consequences.

The nurses' union has appealed to management and the board of the hospital to reconsider its decision.

Ms Mullins stressed the protest was not industrial action. It would take place during the nurses' lunch break so that there would be no disruption of services.

"Peamount provides a dedicated environment for patients with TB where in general hospitals they will have to be put into isolation," said Ms Mullins