IMO lists extensive health cutbacks

[Posted: Thu 15/11/2007 by Niall Hunter, Editor www.irishhealth.com]

The IMO has listed nearly 40 areas of the health service that are suffering as a result of HSE spending cutbacks.

IMO President Dr Paula Gilvarry, speaking at the launch of the IMO's pre-budget submission today, said the organisation was receiving 300 emails per week from doctors concerned about the effects of the cutbacks.

The IMO listed approximately 40 areas of service in hospitals and other facilities around the country where patient care was being affected by the cutbacks.

These include: 

*Tallaght Hospital - No re-screening for MRSA after first isolation of patient. 

*St Vincent's Hospital - No new referrals to the warfarin clinic. 

*Cork area - Opening of new rehabilitation unit for the elderly cancelled.

*Mercy Hospital, Cork - IMO says a local GP seeking an urgent patient appointment was told there were no out-patient clinics last week. New A&E unit at the hospital unopened due to recruitment ban.

*St James's, Dublin - Nearly 100 patients waiting for long-term care due to cutbacks in nursing home and home care grants. Patients also suffering from cancellation of elective surgery and shortage of phlebotomists.

*Blanchardstown Hospital - Locum consultant cutback has led to increase in waiting times for rheumatology. 

*University College Hospital, Galway - X-ray services being limited due to staff restrictions. Shortage of nurses may lead to bed closures.

*St Luke's, Kilkenny - Threatened closure of rehabilitation wards. 

*Beaumont Hospital - Laboratories have had to ration services due to recruitment ban. 

*Clonmel Hospital - Closure of a surgical theatre. 

*Mullingar Hospital -Intensive care unit/coronary care unit closed to admissions due to staff shortages. 

Nationally - The IMO says a new hepatitis B childhood vaccination programme due to commence this year has been postponed until April 2008 at the earliest due to cutbacks. 

The IMO's pre-budget submission calls for a ring-fencing of multi-annual funding for cancer services. It says that while it welcomes the principles in the Government's strategy which has designated eight major cancer centres, it is disappointed with the closure of smaller centres and the introduction of 'phantom facilities' which it claims will not be funded until 2011.

Asked if the Government was not simply trying to make cancer services safer by centralising them away from smaller units with inadequate caseloads, IMO Vice-President Dr Martin Daly said he did not believe anyone would argue against cancer services being centralised into centres of excellence.

However, the IMO, he said, was opposed to the HSE closing down smaller centres without properly funding and resourcing the centres of excellence. 

The IMO said the closures were implemented without consideration of transport issues. Dr Daly said the centralisation plan had been badly thought out.

Dr Daly also criticised the long delay in rolling out national breast and cervical screening schemes. He said there is no doubt that as a result of this delay people will get late diagnoses of cancer and will suffer.

Earlier today, it was announced that by 2009, the BreastCheck cancer screening service will have been offered to all eligible women.

The IMO's submission also calls for a €2 increase in the price of a packet of 20 cigarettes and for the proceeds of the Criminal Assets Bureau, which are linked to drugs, to be earmarked to fund drug treatment programmes.

nk  Posted: 18/11/2007 17:26

Is there anyone out there-we are still waiting in the mid west for the roll-out of breast check. When will we get our service? It is galling to see the adverts on the tv without a definite date of delivery for our own area.

ABSyRD  Posted: 01/12/2007 21:38

Do these add up to €250k overspend? Will they recur with amplification with controlled spend in 2008? This does not represent transformation in the manner expected!

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