HSE accused of bias as mid-west sex assault unit bypassed

A NEW part-time sexual assault treatment (SAT) service in the mid-west has been bypassed for upgrading by the HSE in favour of a new full-time dedicated SAT unit in Galway.

Labour front bench spokeswoman Jan O’Sullivan TD said the decision was further evidence of a growing bias in favour of Galway by the HSE since the executive’s western region was headquartered there.

Doctors working in the new Galway unit will get pay perks and nursing back-up not available to GPs operating the part time Limerick service.

The mid-west will now be the only region left without a dedicated SAT unit.

The part-time SAT service in Limerick is operated by 13 GPs, but sources in the HSE said they want to subjugate this to the new unit it plans for Galway.

Two new SAT units announced for Galway and Mullingar will get their own budgets to pay for the running of clinics and back-up nursing staff.

The limited Limerick service does not have this status.

A spokesman for the HSE confirmed the decision not to upgrade the Limerick service.

He said: “The service in Limerick is part time and would not be a dedicated facility.”

Ms O’Sullivan said this was just the latest example of health services in the mid-west being subordinated to Galway.

She said: “When I heard Dr Mary Holohan (national medical director of adult SAT services with the HSE) being interviewed on the radio I was amazed there was no mention of Limerick. Once again we have yet another example of the mid-west being reduced to a second class area behind Galway with regard to the expansion and provision of health services. It seems everything is being shoved into Galway. We will now have to fight for funding to have a fully resourced SAT unit in Limerick for the mid-west. It is a kick in the teeth to the doctors who have been providing the part time service in Limerick and also women in the region who are sexually assaulted and need access to a dedicated fully resources unit. The HSE have again downgraded the mid-west as an adjunct to the west.” The new SAT units announced for the Midland Regional Hospital in Mullingar and University College Galway will provide specialist training for medical and nursing staff.

With additional funding new pay structures and on-call payment systems will be introduced for GPs participating in the dedicated Galway and Mullingar units.