Hospital faces fines after cuts to theatre time

One of the country’s busiest maternity hospitals could face stiff financial penalties after being forced to cut back on surgery because of reduced theatre time.

Since last July, surgeons at Cork University Maternity Hospital (CUMH) have had access to the gynaecology theatre for just three-and-a- half days a week, down from five. Professor Richard Greene, clinical director of the Cork University Hospital (CUH) Group, said the reduction in operating hours meant 29 women were now close to breaking the limit of not waiting more than nine months for surgery. Failure to meet the nine- month target, set by the Department of Health Special Delivery Unit (SDU), can carry substantial fines.

Prof Greene said the theatre restrictions were caused by a combination of staffing shortages and the ongoing ban on recruitment.

“The reality is three theatre nurses left and they can’t be replaced. We had no choice but to reduce theatre hours. As a result, it is likely that we won’t meet the target of treating patients within nine months. There are 29 women heading towards breaking that limit, and according to the information we have, there are penalties,” Prof Greene said.

He said they were prioritising patients with cancer and with a risk of cancer but that women with life-limiting conditions such as heavy menstrual bleeding and pelvic pain were likely to have to wait longer than usual for surgery.

“Of course, what you never know is if there are patients on that waiting list who could potentially have cancer,” Prof Greene said.

A second gynaecology theatre at CUMH has never functioned since the hospital opened five years ago.

Prof Greene said staff shortages were also affecting Cork University Hospital where one theatre has been closed on a rolling basis for the past year and a half.

He said the squeeze on CUMH staff and resources was “the tightest it has ever been” while the hospital remains “very busy” with 9,000 deliveries forecast by the end of the year. However, while staffing was tight, patients were being looked after well, Prof Greene said.

Meanwhile, the SDU said financial penalties for failure to meet target waiting times generally equated to “the cost of the particular treatment for a patient plus a 100% penalty”. This funding is then redirected to another hospital to secure treatment for the patient who was not treated in the required time frame.

At the start of the year, University College Hospital Group (Galway) was issued with a penalty of €1.2m for failing to meet the 2011 target. This was suspended on condition the nine-month maximum waiting time target is met in 2012. CUH was hit with a penalty of €110,000 in Jun 2012.