Unit for sick children lies idle as deadlock continues

MOVES to open a new unit for very sick children at the Mid-Western Regional Hospital are still deadlocked, the HSE confirmed last night.

Hugely expensive equipment for a high dependency ward in the paediatric unit has been lying unused at the hospital for the past four years due to a dispute between the HSE and the Irish Nurses Organisation.

Following a statement by Minister for State Tony Killeen yesterday, the HSE played down any prospects of an immediate breakthrough, claiming the issue can be resolved by the nursing unions.

A spokesman for the HSE said yesterday: “The HSE shares the hope of Minister of State Tony Killeen that a solution to this impasse can be found in the very near future and calls on the nursing union to cooperate in opening this most needed facility.”

The HSE has agreed to increase staff in the hospitals paediatric unit with four dedicated nursing staff and further part time nurses.

Mr Killeen said he had written to the HSE earlier this month after he was contacted by an Ennis woman who claimed her son almost died in 2004 because the life-saving equipment had been left idle at the Dooradoyle hospital.

Very sick children are looked after at the adult Intensive Care and High Dependency units at the hospital.

The HSE said their objective is to allow for the concentration of seriously-ill paediatric patients in the new ward and the better deployment of medical and nursing expertise.

Mr Killeen stated: “I have been informed that management at the hospital have been trying to progress this development for some years without success.”

Equipping the new high dependency unit will cost almost €270,000 and further funds have been spent on refurbishment.

Mr Killeen said: “The HSE has informed me that additional staffing in the form of four nursing whole time equivalent posts were allocated to provide for the service and a further 1.25 whole time equivalent [posts] were recently offered to facilitate the opening of this service. The issue has been the subject of extensive local negotiations with the nursing unions since 2003 and more recently has been considered by the Labour Relations Commission on three separate occasions but without success to date.

“I would hope that a solution to this impasse can be found in the very near future. It is unacceptable that expensive life-saving medical equipment should be lying idle, while children continue to be sent for treatment in the adult Intensive Care Unit,” he concluded.