Contingency plan working as patients seen in record time

IT seemed that a contingency plan put in place by management at the Mater Hospital in Dublin was working yesterday.

No one was waiting long to be seen in the hospital’s out-patients’ departments and full clinics were being provided. Nessa Doran O’Reilly, from Drumcondra, Dublin, broke her ankle eight weeks ago. She had a physiotherapy appointment at the hospital and was seen in record time. “I was in and out faster than ever,” she said.

Agnes Watson from Glasnevin, Dublin, who has lung cancer thought her chemotherapy would be cancelled because of the dispute but decided against telephoning to confirm her appointment, thinking that her call would go unanswered.

Ms Watson (78) began to worry after arriving for her appointment yesterday as the hospital was unusually quiet. Staff at the hospital reassured her that chemotherapy for all cancer patients was unaffected.

Janette Byrne of Patients Together said she had not received any calls from patients complaining about the work to rule by nurses.

“It will be really hard to see the pain caused to patients by this dispute because of the hurt already being caused by the Health Service Executive and the Government,” she said.