No rheumatologist for Tralee unless hospital ‘pays its bills’

The HSE will not be able to appoint a consultant rheumatologist to address chronic waiting lists at Kerry General this year unless the hospital manages to “pay off its own bills”.

The health service’s area manager for Kerry, Michael Fitzgerald, made the claim at the HSE South regional health forum in Cork City yesterday.

Responding to concerns from Fine Gael councillor Matt Griffin that the key post at the Tralee hospital remained unfilled, Mr Fitzgerald said it was “the intention” of the HSE to make an appointment — initially outlined for the spring — “in the latter part of the year”.

However, he said “the exact date will be dependent on the overall performance of the hospital throughout the year”.

He added that despite the need for an appointment to ensure adequate services were provided to mainly elderly patients, keeping existing costs within budget remained at the front of the agenda.

HSE figures show that 91 people have been waiting more than three months for a rheumatology appointment at Tralee.

Many patients are also transferred to Cork University Hospital, causing further waiting list backlogs. The latest figures for CUH show there are 116 people waiting three to six months and 130 more waiting up to a year for the treatment.

Under plans first announced in 2006 as part of a comprehensive review of services in the HSE South, one consultant rheumatologist was meant to be appointed to work between Kerry General and the South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital in Cork City.

The Kerry service currently involves a visiting consultant rheumatologist attending for one day every month, seeing 30-40 patients per visit.

Kerry patients in need of more specific treatment are instead referred to CUH.

A HSE South statement accepted that “one of the National Clinical Care Programmes being initiated is in respect of rheumatology with the overarching aim of adopting a chronic disease model of care [with a] ‘right person, right place, right time’ approach to the patient with a rheumatic disease.

“The appointment of a consultant rheumatologist at Kerry General would assist in standardising care models for this patient cohort,” the spokesperson added.