Hospital ward to close for summer due to budget over-runs

MANAGEMENT at Tralee General Hospital yesterday acknowledged that budget over-runs were behind its decision to close one of its wards for the summer.

Earlier the hospital had indicated that staffing arrangements constituted the main reason for the closure of the 30-bed general ward from July to the end of September.

The Irish Nurses Organisation yesterday demanded that the decision be reversed, describing the move as “ill founded”.

The hospital will alsosuffer depleted out-patient clinics during specific holiday periods, a hospital management statement said yesterday.

Citing budgetary pressures, general manager Margie Lynch said: “This seasonal closure will enable the hospital management to co-ordinate annual leave for staff and thus reduce the level of locum cover needed while staff are on holiday. Temporarily closing a general ward will assist the hospital to remain within its budget of e54m.

“In the current economic climate, it is necessary to ensure that every effort is made to manage our resources in the most efficient and practical way possible,” she added.

The INO said the decision was made without prior consultation or negotiations with them. It described the proposed closure as “ill founded and will inevitably lead to difficulties for our members on the ground during the time of closure”.

The INO said its members were currently experiencing “unprecedented difficulties” within the accident and emergency department and this would be compounded during the months of closure.

“The health board’s suggestion that the closure was necessary in order to facilitate staff to avail of their annual leave entitlements further angered staff. The reality is that activity levels for 2004 are currently running 9% above expectation, hence the decision to close the ward in an effort to curtail the inevitable budget overrun,” a statement said.

This situation should have been foreseen by hospital management and factored into the service plan for 2004, according to the INO. “Regrettably this was not the case,” the statement said.

“The overrun,” according to Ms Lynch, “is largely due to increased demand on services and increased costs.”

INO industrial relations officer Michael Dineen described the move as a “worrying development given the nature in which the announcement was made”.

“It does not augur well for future industrial relations within Tralee General Hospital,” he added.

The last major souring of industrial relations at Tralee occurred three years ago when nurses staged a work to rule in protest at the decision to end post-graduate nurse training and the loss of seven nursing posts.