Opposition speaks on nursing shortages

Opposition parties tonight demanded drastic action to end the chronic shortage of intensive care nurses in Irish hospitals after two children were denied life saving heart surgery.

Our Lady’s Hospital for Sick Children, Dublin, confirmed two youngsters had been sent home on Monday due to a lack of paediatric nurses.

A baby girl died in June of last year hours after being forced to leave the same hospital with her parents.

Two-year-old Róisín Ruddle died in her mother’s arms hours after being discharged from the Crumlin hospital where her heart operation was cancelled due to lack of nursing staff.

Progressive Democrat leader and Health Minister Mary Harney was told tonight a second tragedy was on the cards unless radical steps were taken to increase staff levels.

Main opposition party Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny claimed it was “appalling” that youngsters were put at risk and denied vital care.

“This is appalling, and God forbid that anything will happen to either of those two children or any other child in this circumstance,” he said.

Mr Kenny claimed the Government and particularly the health department had failed to learn lessons from the tragic death of Róisín just 15 months ago.

And he said one of the two children had been dressed in a hospital gown and ready for surgery before the last-minute cancellation.

“I am aware that the existing staff of ICU nurses in Our Lady’s Hospital, Crumlin are quite prepared to do the extra shifts to ensure no child will be sent home like the two, to whom I referred, on the basis of an alleged shortage of intensive care nurses,” Mr Kenny said.

“However, the fact is that the hospital authorities will not pay the nurses because they do not have the resources to do so.”

Mr Kenny also fiercely rejected claims he was “playing politics” with children’s lives.

Ms Harney admitted Ireland had a shortage of intensive care nurses for paediatrics.

And said she met with Gerry O’Dwyer, chief executive of the hospital, and denied there was an issue of overtime pay.

A hospital spokeswoman said there was a worldwide shortage of nurses for intensive care, especially paediatric intensive care nurses.

€1.63m was earmarked for the recruitment of 18 additional nurses at the intensive care unit at Our Lady’s Hospital March. Only one post has been filled.

A report into Róisín Ruddle’s death last year has yet to be made public and Ms Harney said it was not fully completed.

Liz McManus, Labour Party health spokeswoman, said the scandal revealed the true extent of staff shortages.

“Today we see the grim reality,” she said. “And failure to respond to the chronic situation at Our Lady’s Hospital for Sick Children in the wake of last year’s tragedy has put children at risk.”

John Gormley, Green Party health spokesman, called for immediate spending in front-line health services to prevent a repeat of last year’s tragedy.

“This is literally a matter of life and death,” Mr Gormley said.

“The only real way to deal with staff shortages of this type is to deliver on the Government’s own health strategy which will mean an increase in health spending.”