McKenna raises Medical Assessment Unit with HSE Forum

Feasibility report due before end of the month

Sinn Féin Councillor, Brian McKenna raised the issue of the Medical Assessment Unit at Monaghan General Hospital at the HSE’s Regional Forum when it met earlier this week.

In a question to the HSE executive Cllr. McKenna asked when it is expected that the feasibility report into the development of a M.A.U at Monaghan General Hospital will be completed. He pointed out that it was now almost three months since this work was commenced that people were led to believe that it would be completed within 6 - 8 weeks.

In a written response by HSE Area Manager, Leo Kinsella, Cllr. McKenna was informed that:

“A representative group has been established by the HSE to undertake a feasibility study on the development of a Medical Assessment Unit in Monaghan Hospital. This independent feasibility study will establish if there is a clinical need for a Medical Assessment Unit in Monaghan Hospital for the Monaghan population and establish the pay and non pay costs and internal/external support services associated with the establishment and running of a MAU in Monaghan.

“The project will demonstrate evidence of the local health demographic and local health data of the Monaghan population relevant to medical assessment unit services.

“The group commenced its work on Monday, 17th October, 2011 and the timeframe for completion of the project is 6 – 8 weeks. A report will be completed by end January 2012.

“The membership of the Group are as follows:-

“Dr. Louise Doherty, Specialist in Public Health Medicine, HSE North West;
Dr. James Hayes, Consultant Physician and Clinical Director, Cavan General Hospital;
Ms. Eileen Whelan, Director of Nursing, Louth/Meath Hospital Group, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital;
Ms. Ruth Murdiff, (Service User Panel Representative);
Mr. Robert Dancey, (Service User Panel Representative);
Mr. Gerry Clerkin, Risk Advisor, Risk Management Department, Cavan and Monaghan Hospitals;
Mr. Cathal Hand, Development Officer, Primary and Community Care, HSE Cavan Monaghan;
Dr. Ilona Duffy, General Practitioner, Monaghan.”

Speaking afterwards Cllr. McKenna welcomed that some progress had been made on this issue to date and that the feasibility report is scheduled to be published by the end of January. The Sinn Féin representative stated that his party would continue to press the HSE and the government to deliver the promised Medical Assessment Unit at a matter of urgency and priority.

“Fianna Fáil should be honest on hospital” – Brian McKenna

North Monaghan & Regional Health Forum member Cllr. Brian McKenna has welcomed the fact that Deputy Margaret Conlon has finally woken up to the potential for development at Monaghan General Hospital. However the Sinn Féin Councillor said that Fianna Fáil couldn’t have it both ways – stating that they have no say in relation to decisions affecting the hospital one minute and then claiming to be making a contribution to its future in the next sentence.

Cllr. McKenna said “perhaps if Deputy Conlon had been as positive and forceful when the HSE were removing services from Monaghan General Hospital we wouldn’t be in the situation we are now. Instead Deputy Conlon, and her Fianna Fáil colleagues, used the HSE mantra that no service would be removed until another was put in place elsewhere when clearly the HSE had failed to provide alternative and accessible services for the people. I don’t think that people will be fooled by this so called 5 point plan for Monaghan General Hospital. What Deputy Conlon should be calling for is the return of medical cover to our hospital and for the ICU to treat patients suffering from heart attacks. What has been suggested is all very low key, the bulk either already committed or being argued for by a variety of voices.

“Many of us have been battling with the HSE over the past 12 months to ensure patients from Drogheda and Dublin hospitals would be repatriated to Monaghan and we now have that commitment in place. The long promised CT scanner will soon be operational as a result of continued pressure on the HSE when both Deputy O’Hanlon and Deputy Conlon were silent on these issues.

“What the people of Monaghan now want and deserve is honesty from government representatives such as Deputy Conlon. They can force a change in HSE policy and they could have prevented services being removed from our hospital. They should acknowledge their failures to date and join with Sinn Féin, Fine Gael and the Hospital Alliance in our shared campaign to have them restored.”

Brian McKenna secures Regional Health Forum backing for retention of services at St. Davnet’s Hospital

North Monaghan Sinn Féin Councillor and member of the HSE Regional Health Forum, Brian McKenna, successfully moved a motion to that body calling for the retention of the Admissions Unit and Day Care Centre at St. Davnet’s Psychiatric Hospital in Monaghan. Significantly the motion was passed unanimously by all the members present at the meeting of the forum held on Monday last.

In moving the motion Cllr. Mckenna stated that St. Davnet’s had a “proud record of service stretching back a long number of years to people in need of psychiatric support from the Cavan and Monaghan areas”. Referring to the document ‘a vision for change’ which recommends the integration of people with psychiatric illnesses into the community as opposed to the institutionalisation method Cllr. McKenna said that St. Davnet’s had led the way in this respect and indeed was now used as a template by the authors of that report.

According to the Sinn Féin representative “St. Davnet’s is now been made the victim of its own success. However many professionals within the psychiatric services still believe that there is still a need for an admissions unit at St. Davnet’s catering for people with severe problems or who have no family to support them in the wider community”.

He continued: “The proposed closure of the ‘Day Centre’ runs contrary to stated government policy as set out in the aforementioned ‘vision for change’ which encourages care in the community.” Cllr. McKenna called on the HSE to recognise the tremendous contribution that St. Davnet’s had provided and continues to provide to those in need of psychiatric services. He also stated that the fact that the Regional Health Forum had unanimously supported a motion calling for the retention of these services presented a challenge to the HSE and the government; “will they accept the wishes of the only democratic forum established under the HSE system?” he asked.

McKenna keeps pressure on HSE for Monaghan’s CT Scanner

The Sinn Féin representative on the H.S.E. Regional Health Forum, Cllr. Brian McKenna, raised the issue of the long promised CT scanner for Monaghan General Hospital at Monday’s meeting of the body. In a question to HSE officials Cllr. McKenna asked if the new CT scanner had been installed; if not, when would it be so; and when will the necessary staff to operate the scanner be in position?

In their response the HSE stated that “the new CT scanner for Monaghan Hospital has been delivered and is currently being installed and is due to be commissioned in the near future. Training for staff has been ongoing and the service is expected to commence in June on a phased basis initially, with support from Radiology Staff in Cavan. A total of 1.2 WTE Posts has been agreed under the Transformation programme for this service.”

In reply Cllr. Mckenna expressed disappointment with the HSE response stating that it appeared that the operational date for the scanner has been put on the long finger once again, this time till June. “At our meeting in January I was informed that the CT scanner would in commissioned by mid-February. This is not acceptable and I will be doing my best to ensure that it is put in place, as promised, as soon as possible” he concluded.

Monaghan Delegates make major contribution to Sinn Féin Ard Fheis

Dozens of Monaghan delegates made up part of the 2,000 plus in attendance at last weekends Sinn Féin Ard Fheis held in Dublin’s RDS.

In wide ranging debates dealing with social and economic matters, the crisis in our health services and the need to advance towards a United Ireland, County Monaghan delegates contributed throughout and argued their positions cogently.

Monaghan Motions

Monaghan delegates were particularly pleased that many motions submitted from the county, both by the governing Comhairle Ceanntair and by local Cumainn, were adopted by the Ard Fheis.

A motion proposed by the Comhairle Ceanntair in support of the local communities campaigning against EirGrid and NIE’s plans to impose high voltage power-lines through the North East was unanimously passed by the Ard Fheis.

The motion, which was officially proposed to the Ard Fheis by South Monaghan Councillor, Matt Carthy, read:

‘This Ard Fheis expresses its ongoing support for the communities in Counties Monaghan, Cavan, Meath, Armagh and Tyrone who are campaigning against the plans of EirGrid and NIE to impose overhead high voltage power lines and associated pylons through these counties. We call on the Irish Government and Assembly Executive to instigate a policy of under-grounding high voltage power lines in the best interests of the environment and to minimise the impact of this type of infrastructure on communities affected. Pending the development of such policy we call on the planning authorities, North and South, to reject the applications for the North-South Interconnector, considering the large number of unanswered questions regarding the environmental and health implications of the current proposals’.

Cllr. Carthy reminded delegates that two years ago Sinn Féin became the first party with a specific policy calling for the undergrounding of high voltage power-lines. “Two years on we are still the ONLY party to have that policy” he said. Cllr. Carthy said that while local Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil representatives were “talking a good game” unless their parties undertook to implement the same policy as Sinn Féin then local communities would fear that their concerns are being ignored by these politicians.

Health issues & Monaghan Hospital

As party spokesperson on Health & Children, Cavan/ Monaghan Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin received high praise from the Ard Fheis for his consistent position in support of patients and local health care provision.

In his own remarks during the health section of the Ard Fheis Deputy Ó Caoláin stated that within the past year the Fianna Fáil government has stepped up its attacks on our public health services. In clear and unambiguous language the Sinn Féin Dáil leader outlined clearly where his party stand on the issue of returning services to local hospitals which this government has removed.

He said: “As a result of the Health Service Executive Service Plan for 2010, recently approved by Mary Harney, a further 1,100 acute hospital beds will be taken out of our public hospital system this year. There will be 33,000 fewer hospital admissions in 2010.

“Contrary to the hype and spin of Health Minister Harney and HSE Chief Drumm this is not about making the system more efficient and better for patients; it is about further cost-cutting in a public health system that already has a shortage of hospital beds and staff.

“This year we have already seen a record-breaking 500 patients on trolleys and chairs in A&E departments on one day in January. Yet with fewer hospital beds and fewer staff the HSE Service Plan outlines ‘service levels’ with 100% of patients admitted or discharged from A&E within six hours of registration. It is totally unrealistic. It is not in the real world of the public health service. It is another false promise from the far-away planet inhabited by Mary Harney and Brendan Drumm.

“But let’s be very clear. This can’t all be pinned on Minister Harney; the entire Cabinet and the Fianna Fáil party and Green Party in the Oireachtas bear full responsibility for the desperate state of our health services.

“In Budget 2010 they imposed further cutbacks on public health services and they announced another great example of the Fianna Fáil/Green concept of fairness. For years Sinn Féin and others have stressed the need for action to reduce the exorbitant cost of medicines in the health system. Nothing was done about this during the Celtic Tiger years. Now guess who is being asked to pay? As in the case of NAMA and the bank bail-out, it is not the profiteers who are being forced to pay but the people.

“This Government is about to impose prescription charges of up to €10 per month on medical card holders. In a couple of weeks they will bring in legislation to provide for this. I challenge here today those Fianna Fáil backbenchers who staged a mock revolt over the public service pay talks last December. Will they now stand up for their constituents and refuse to support this charge? They know very well that once introduced the prescription charge will be increased year on year, undermining the medical card and hitting the least well off. Let them put up or shut up” he said.

Deputy Ó Caoláin reaffirmed Sinn Féin’s commitment to an all-Ireland, single-tier, universal health system with equal access for all based on need alone and funded from general progressive taxation. That is the only fair and efficient alternative to the chaos which reigns at present. “We reaffirm our commitment to the local hospital network, the restoration and retention of the maximum possible number of services and opposition to closures and downgrading such as imposed on the people of Monaghan” he concluded.

Delegates unanimously adopted a motion on the issue of Monaghan General Hospital proposed by Monaghan Town Councillor Padraigín Uí Mhurchadha. It read:

‘This Ard Fheis calls for the restoration of all acute services to Monaghan General Hospital and roundly condemns the action of this Fianna Fáil/Green Party government who have presided over the final removal, as and from 22nd July 2009, of the last acute services from this once proud General Hospital facility. We call on all political parties, without exception, to commit now, in advance of the next General Election, to the restoration of these essential services for the people of Co. Monaghan and the hospital’s natural hinterland, north and south of the border.

We urge all political coalition parties to pledge to restore, retain and develop the network of local hospital sites across the 26 Counties and to undertake a serious engagement with the counterparts north of the border leading to the development initially of better cross-border co-operation in healthcare delivery systems and ultimately towards a fully integrated single All-Ireland health system delivering a free at the point of access top class service to all across this island and on the basis of need and need alone’.

In moving the motion Cllr. Uí Mhurchadha stated that government representatives in this constituency “as they have failed the people of both Counties Cavan and Monaghan”. She said that it wasn’t simply good enough for the Fianna Fáil representatives to “wash their hands of the service cuts after service cuts that have reduced Monaghan General Hospital to its current position. They cannot simply state that on one hand they support our hospital and yet claim that they have no power to act. “Likewise, I am calling on Fine Gael to join Sinn Féin in adopting a very clear position of returning and developing services to our hospital if and when they are in a position to do so. It is disappointing that, thus far, they have failed to make that commitment.

Children’s Referendum

Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin moved an Emergency Motion to the Ard Fheis on the proposed children’s referendum. He pointed out that this issue was especially relevant this week when the disgraceful neglect of children in State care has been highlighted. “Over 20 children have died in State care since 2000. None of the reports on their deaths have been published officially” he said.

“There needs to be concerted action to ensure the provision of the essential resources and services to protect children at risk. And there needs to be action to vindicate the rights of children in law and in the Constitution.

The final report of the Joint Committee on the Constitutional Amendment on Children (of which Deputy Ó Caoláin is a member) was published last month and it presents an important opportunity to strengthen children’s rights in this State.

“It is time for a referendum to be held that will ensure children have constitutionally recognised rights as individuals, beyond those derived from their status as members of a family as defined in the 1937 Constitution.

“Sinn Féin believes that this report is an important step on the road to cherishing all children of the nation equally. It is now up to government to take the wording offered and hold a referendum that will afford children specific rights to care and well-being and their right to be heard in matters concerning them.

The amendment should also go some way to addressing the obstacles affecting child protection systems. If an amendment such as the one contained in the report was enshrined in the Constitution, the State would have sufficient power to intervene on behalf of all children at risk regardless of their parents’ marital status.

“Sinn Féin is calling on the Government to table legislation to hold a referendum on the issue of children’s rights as a matter of urgency. We also need to see a Referendum Commission established as soon as possible, one that will inform people in a clear and comprehensive way about all the issues involved”.

Coalition

The Ard Fheis also heard various speakers outline their views on the various prospects for the party in the aftermath of a General Election. Delegates endorsed the position articulated by their Dáil Leader Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin TD. In his remarks he said:

“We all know too well the appalling record in government of Fianna Fáil. We have no illusions about what they represent. We are and will remain independent.

“The issue for Sinn Féin is twofold: Firstly, whether any of the other parties could measure up to the policy commitments we require. Secondly, whether entering a coalition would enhance our political strength and advance our struggle for Irish unity and equality. We would have to satisfy ourselves that the answer to both of those questions would be ‘yes’ before coalition could even be considered. We would have to be satisfied, as the motion states, that any draft Programme for Government put before this Ard Fheis would be rooted in republican principles and would advance our policy platform. And we would have to be satisfied also that any such decision would maintain our unity and cohesion as a party.

“The bar is set very high and I see no party at present that comes anywhere near to meeting our requirements. Our job now is to build our party, to build alliances with people in communities across Ireland, to grow from the grassroots, to make our political project the catalyst for the empowerment of people. Our ultimate ambition is to be the vehicle through which the people take power away from those who have dominated and abused the people’s trust over successive decades”.

Catch & Release

The Cathaoirleach of Monaghan Town Council, Seán Conlon, achieved full support for a motion he proposed calling for the introduction of ‘catch and release’ legislation that will stem the continuing decline of pike and course fish stocks from our nation’s lakes and water courses.

He stated “anglers, who for generations had been abiding by the standard practice of returning fish after being landed, have ensured the protection of not only a treasured pastime for thousands of Irish anglers and tourists but importantly secured the future sustainability of a delicate natural resource. For our young people especially, this has enhanced their awareness of ecological and environmental education by participating in angling events and competitions.

“Complimentary to the societal benefits is the considerable factor of Ireland’s reputation as one of the worlds leading angling tourism destinations. The failure of government in enacting thorough and robust legislation will lead to a collapse in this valuable social and economic resource and ultimately an environmental disaster.

“With increased immigration to Ireland many new people, particularly from eastern European countries are enjoying the benefits of Irish angling facilities. Unfortunately some of these people do not share the traditional catch and release ethos that has always been the mainstay of this type of fishing in Ireland. This approach has contributed to a decimation of pike and course fish and the current vague and outdated bye-laws are useless in tackling the problem.

“Signage and occasional prosecution will not reverse this trend and integral to the implementation of future laws will be measures to build positive relations between indigenous anglers and those who are new to the concept of the ‘catch and release’ philosophy. A minor fish kill that occurred last week in Peter’s Lake in my own town of Monaghan is proof if needed that the eco-systems that many of these species habitat are extremely fragile. The passage of new legislation will go a considerable distance in ensuring future generations will still avail of this treasured pastime” he concluded.

Oireachtas & Electoral Reform

On Saturday delegates endorsed a call from Cavan/ Monaghan TD Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin to endorse a motion setting out a programme of democratic reforms which are sorely needed to make the Dáil and Seanad truly accountable to the people. Deputy Ó Caoláin spelt out his party’s position clearly: “We are for the abolition of the undemocratic and unrepresentative Seanad” he said. “We are proposing its replacement with a new democratically elected second chamber that would provide a new aspect to representative government”.

Deputy Ó Caoláin continued: “People are understandably and justifiably tired of the way democratic institutions have been misused by the establishment political parties in this State for decades. They have treated them as their personal fiefdoms, a place of perks and privileges. Instead of forums of the people they have become platforms for careerist politicians. That must change if we are to being about a real and meaningful transformation in politics in this country. And of course they must be part of a transition to an all-Ireland democracy, a truly national Dáil Éireann”.

Working towards Irish Unity

Clones Councillor, Pat Treanor, told delegates that there was a need to step up the campaign to deliver a United Ireland. He said that border communities in particular had suffered the everyday experience of partition, and had a special role to play in any such campaign.

Cllr. Treanor said: “The purpose of the actions arising from this campaign would be to demonstrate the nonsense of the border through real cases north and south, and the discrimination facing communities in this region. The border community is best placed to advocate and put forward the real life cases that they face on a daily basis, as it did in the 80s and early 90s in relation to the closure of border crossings.

“We have seen how issues such as social welfare entitlements, roaming charges for mobile phone users, additional charges and regulations for farmers, tax liabilities and many more are impacted negatively because of the border. Border businesses operate in a distorted economic environment, with price differences benefiting traders on one side to the detriment of those on the other. While the balance shifts from time to time, the distortion has led to a boom or bust scenario for many border towns. The only consistent beneficiaries have been smugglers who will seize on any opportunity to profit from the distortion in either direction, or both! Indeed, multinationals have become the new smugglers with their outlets north and south charging different prices for the same products – 30 to 50% difference in some cases.

“We need to build the debate in a positive way. It is timely, reasonable and rational to be talking about ending partition and moving towards a united Ireland. 20 years ago around this time the border roads campaign was in place. Local communities succeeded in getting rid of the dragon’s teeth and the permanent vehicle checkpoints. Its now time to remove the remaining barriers to progress” he concluded.

Speaking in the same section Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin spoke of the work of the Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement which was established in 2007. Outlining Sinn Fein’s approach to the committee Deputy Ó Caoláin said “We stated at the time that its establishment was welcome but short of what we in Sinn Féin believe is necessary. Since the Good Friday Agreement Sinn Féin has argued strongly for a much greater level of engagement on the Agreement by the Oireachtas. We have called for representation in the Dáil for citizens in the Six Counties. We maintain this call and we do not see the Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement as a substitute for Six-County representation in the Dáil.

“For a long number of years partitionism has been actively fostered in this State and it is still a major problem, in spite of all the progress made in the Peace Process.

“Do we constantly have to remind journalists and broadcasters and State agencies and people in public life that Ireland does not stop at Dundalk or Monaghan or Lifford?

“The population of Ireland is 5.9 million, not 4.2 million.

“The United Ireland we seek is not a 32-County version of the State and the economy of the 26 Counties. It is not a cobbling together of the two existing jurisdictions. It is a new dispensation, a new political reality on this island.

“The question should not be ‘Can we afford a United Ireland’? The question should be ‘Can we afford not to unite Ireland?’ We have a small island with three governments in Dublin, Belfast and Westminster. As our proposed Mission Statement on Irish Unity states:

“Partition disrupts and distorts community, social and cultural life as well as trade and commerce, and entails waste and duplication in public services. The full social, economic, cultural and political potential of the island of Ireland and its people can best be realised in the context of an end to partition.”

“The historic mission of this party is to end Partition and build a New Ireland” the Sinn Féin Dáil leader concluded.

Highlights of the Sinn Féin Ard Fheis, including video coverage, can be accessed at the party’s website http://www.sinnfein.ie/

Ó Caoláin demands Ministerial intervention to stop “savage mental health cuts” in Co. Monaghan

Sinn Féin Health spokesperson and Cavan-Monaghan TD Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin has revealed that the HSE is planning to close the 12-bed Admissions Unit and the Day Centre for patients with mental illness at St. Davnet’s Psychiatric Hospital in Monaghan town.

The Sinn Féin Dáil leader has called on the Minister of State for Mental Health, John Moloney TD, to intervene immediately to prevent what Deputy Ó Caoláin described as “savage cuts to mental health services” in County Monaghan.

Deputy Ó Caoláin said:

“It was disclosed within the HSE North East this week that the HSE is planning to close the 12-bed Admissions Unit at St. Davnet’s Psychiatric Hospital in Monaghan and to move the unit to Cavan General Hospital. This would be a severe blow to services for people with mental illness in Co. Monaghan. It would also mean further pressure on already over-stretched services in Cavan.

“I understand that a second severe blow is planned by the HSE with the proposed closure of the Day Centre at St. Davnet’s. This Centre caters for people living in the community and it is a vital facility. Its closure would run totally contrary to Government policy as set out in A Vision for Change which encourages care in the community rather than institutionalisation. It would remove from people those vital supports that assist them to live normal lives in their communities.

“It is estimated that mental health services are to be cut by some €5 million in Cavan and Monaghan in 2010. These savage cuts to mental health services must be stopped. I have today written to the Minister of State for Mental Health, John Moloney TD, to demand his immediate intervention to stop the HSE from going ahead with these cuts.

“Last year I led a cross-constituency delegation of my party, including the then Mayors of Counties Monaghan and Cavan, on a visit to St. Davnet’s when we presented a strong case for the retention of the Admissions Unit at the St. Davnet’s campus. We will work with determination, and with all who genuinely share our stated objective, to try to ensure that the axe does not fall on yet another vital health facility in County Monaghan.”

“Monaghan Patients Denied Access to Recuperation in Monaghan Hospital!” - McKenna

The Sinn Féin member on the Regional Health Forum, Brian McKenna, has described as “scandalous” the confirmation from the HSE this week that Monaghan patients who have procedures carried out in any hospital other than Cavan General cannot and will not be repatriated to recuperate and recover in Monaghan. This is despite the fact that 26 non-acute beds had been set aside in the hospital under the North-East Transformation Programme.

The North Monaghan councillor was speaking after making representation to the HSE on behalf of two Monaghan patients, one from Cavan Hospital and the other from Our Lady of Lourdes in Drogheda, to be repatriated to Monaghan hospital to recuperate following recent procedures.

Speaking this week an angry Cllr McKenna said: “This, in my opinion, represents yet another u-turn on the part of the HSE in relation to what they promised the people of this county under the North-East Transformation Programme. We were told that the 50 acute beds in Monaghan General Hospital would be reduced to 26 non-acute, 13 of which would be for rehabilitation and 13 a mixture of step-down/ respite/ convalescent beds. The HSE are now saying these beds are only for patients who are referred back from a stay in Cavan Hospital and if a patient is returning from Drogheda or a Dublin Hospital then they must go home or possibly to a nursing home if one can be found with a free bed.

“This is outrageous and a breach of trust and faith by the HSE with the people of this county. I would encourage families to refuse to accept family members from Drogheda or Dublin hospitals who return within days of operations and have no facilities or family members to look after them. This is an issue I intend to raise at the next meeting of the Regional Health Forum”.

Cllr. McKenna also called on local Fianna Fáil representatives to “once and for all get of the sidelines” on the issue of Monaghan General Hospital. The fact is that this government can intervene to not only resolve this issue but indeed ensure that all services previously removed can be restored to our hospital. Unfortunately the local Fianna Fáil councillors and TD’s have shown little appetite to stand up to their own party on this issue.

“It is also ironic that this news has been revealed just a little over a week since the Fine Gael members joined Fianna Fáil in ensuring that visiting Ministers to our county can now waltz in without being confronted on this issue by elected representatives in an official capacity.”

Cuts and overcrowding increase danger of hospital infections – Ó Caoláin

Commenting on the serious outbreak of the C Difficile hospital-based infection in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda, Sinn Féin Health & Children spokesperson Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin said that current and further proposed cutbacks in hospital services, as well as hospital centralisation, would make the battle against the infection much more difficult. He said:
“There is great concern in the North East region and across the country at the situation in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda. For over a week now this serious infection outbreak has seen three wards and 70 beds closed, most ambulance and GP referrals sent to other hospitals and a bar on visitors. The coroner has been notified of four fatalities in which C Difficile may have been a contributory factor.

“The Lourdes is the largest hospital in the North East region covering Counties Cavan, Louth, Meath and Monaghan. It is already greatly overstretched, not least because of the removal of acute services from Monaghan General Hospital last July, resulting in greater pressure on the Lourdes and on Cavan General Hospital.

“This situation is set to worsen with the planned removal of acute services from the Louth County Hospital at Dundalk at the end of the year. Overall, the Government and HSE policy of centralisation of hospital services, as well as current and further proposed cutbacks affecting staff and other resources, will make the battle against hospital-based infections much more difficult.

“In the Dáil last week Health Minister Mary Harney admitted the inadequacy of the hospital system to address C Difficile, MRSA and other hospital-based infections because of the lack of single rooms in which to isolate patients. This need was raised many times with the Minister and her predecessor, including by myself, but no effective action was taken when the resources were there. Now they plead lack of resources.

“It is long past time that this Minister and this Government stopped playing Russian roulette with citizens lives. I call on Brian Cowen, Mary Harney and company to restore our hospital services across the North East, to restore patient safety to its deserved importance, to abandon their co-location and privatisation agendas and, by these actions, help restore public confidence in our public health system.”

Cuts based on McCarthy Report will destroy health services – Ó Caoláin

August 21, 2009
Sinn Féin Dáil leader and health spokesperson Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin TD has challenged Health Minister Mary Harney to put plans for up to €800 million in health service cuts before the Dáil on its resumption in September. He said that if such cuts are proceeded with and are based on the proposals in the McCarthy ('Bord Snip Nua') Report they "will destroy our public health services".
Deputy Ó Caoláin said:
"The confidential letter revealed this week from Minister Harney's Health Department to the HSE calls for up to €800 million in cuts to our public health services in 2010. It requires the HSE to bring forward cuts on the basis of the McCarthy ('Bord Snip Nua') Report. If implemented the savage cuts proposed by McCarthy would see thousands of people losing their medical cards, new charges for all prescriptions including those for medical card holders, higher costs to all patients for medicines, higher charges for hospital and nursing home care and means testing for home care for vulnerable older people. Such cuts, in addition to those already being imposed since the autumn of 2007, will destroy our public health services.
"I challenge Health Minister Harney to put any proposed package of cuts before the Dáil immediately on its resumption in September. This is about the future of our public health services and Minister Harney and her Fianna Fáil/Green Government colleagues must set out exactly what they are proposing. They must be accountable and cannot hide behind the HSE or hope to conceal from the people the real impact and the long-term implications of savage health cuts.
"We in Sinn Féin will continue to vigorously oppose the Government's attacks on our public health services."