CUH nurses back crisis e-mail

The Irish Nurses Organisation (INO) has urged hospital chiefs to hold a public meeting to address the concerns raised by a consultant in relation to the transfer of breast cancer services to the Cork University Hospital.

In a leaked email, consultant plastic surgeon Jason Kelly questioned the ability of the hospital to take on further breast cancer patients from the South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital at the end of the year given that operating theatres were struggling with their existing workload.

He cited two instances where patients who required treatment were left on trolleys.

In the email to the hospital’s general manager he said one woman with a bad injury did not get any morphine and her dressings were inadequate while another suffered a five-hour delay before an emergency amputation could be carried out on her arm.

Patsy Doyle of the Irish Nurses Organisation said they had repeatedly raised similar concerns.

“There should be a public meeting where the hospital chiefs should face the public on the issues raised by Mr Kelly and other concerns in our hospitals.

“These are issues we have raised time and again and we concur with what Mr Kelly has stated. It is a damning indictment on the health service and must be dealt with,” she said.

Ms Doyle added the INO had been going constantly to the HSE to ask them to fill 98 posts at the hospital.

In a statement Tony McNamara, the general manager of the CUH Group, said the issues raised by Mr Kelly would be followed up internally.

In relation to the transfer of breast cancer services he said cancer services will not move from an existing provider to any designated centre until there is the capacity to do so.

Meanwhile, The Campaign for a Real Public Health Service has plans for a march against health cuts on Saturday, meeting at Daunt Square in Cork at 2pm, against a backdrop of fears of further cuts at St Mary’s Orthopedic Hospital and the Mercy University Hospital.

Article courtesy of the Evening Echo newspaper.