Health resources 'misused' says consultants' leader
The president of the Irish Hospital Consultants Association warned today a massive gap had developed between those charged with running the health service.
Dr David O’Keeffe said recent cutbacks and curtailment of hospital treatments have exposed the big disconnect between the Department of Health and the Health Service Executive (HSE).
The HSE was this week forced to continue with a recruitment freeze imposed last month to reduce its financial deficit which is running at over €200m.
“In assuming responsibility for the finances of the HSE the chief executive (Brendan Drumm) has either settled for an inadequate budget from the start or has mismanaged the resources at his disposal,” he said.
“Throughout the country, there are numerous examples of the misuse of resources.”
Dr O‘Keefe noted the experience in his own hospital in Galway which is facing a proposal to close beds which generate €200,000 a month by facilitating complex spinal and orthopaedic work under the National Treatment Purchase Fund.
The operations cannot be carried out in private hospitals.
He said the HSE is continuing to rent hotels to interview middle managers in Sligo, while front-line clinical staff are dismissed.
And he also noted that expectant mothers in Dublin are being put up in a hotel as the Rotunda Hospital cannot accommodate them.
Dr O‘Keefe also said the IHCA was committed to agreeing a new pay deal with the HSE, but he set out certain criteria which consultants want.
“Hospital consultants are committed to agreeing a new contract,” he said.
“We see a future contract with a family friendly element, part-time consultants, job-sharing consultants who don‘t stop being doctors at 4pm or 8pm or whenever they stop work.
“The co-location issue is for us a non-issue. We want to agree a contract that will continue the excellence in the public hospital system.
“We are determined that when, not if, we agree a contract it will only be such as will attract the brightest and the best back to this country. Political expediency shall not govern what we know to be right.”
