Another week, another scandal - Charity-funded ward stands idle

Another week, another HSE scandal. This week opens with the disclosure that a new respiratory ward specifically to help cystic fibrosis patients at Cork University Hospital, one funded by a charity to the tune of €2.3m, stands idle because the health service does not have the staff to man it.

Build4Life, the group that built and equipped the facility, said they were initially told it would open in March but the founder of the charity, Joe Browne, believes an imminent opening is unlikely.

The affair not only shows that HSE management are not only incapable on managing their own resources but that they cannot even manage the largesse of the community they exist to serve. Surely any staffing issues should have been resolved before a brick was laid and if the staff did not exist to man the facility then the project might have been deferred? Or, at the very least, the resources used in a way that could have an immediate impact on cystic fibrosis care in the region. Mr Browne said the hospital had failed to address the staffing though the issue was repeatedly raised over the three-and-a-half year development of the project.