Hospital ‘starved of finance and resources since opening’

Hospital ‘starved of finance and resources since opening’

By William O’Connor

DUBLIN South West TD Seán Crowe, an active member of the Tallaght Hospital Action Group, has said that the local hospital in Tallaght has been starved of resources since its opening in 1998 and that the long pattern of cuts and shortages has impacted negatively on patients and staff working in the hospital.

Deputy Crowe described the Programme for Government as high on aspiration, light on detail and without any big plan or vision to fix our broken health system.

SEAN CROWE June 2016

The Tallaght-based deputy was taking part in a solidarity protest outside Tallaght Hospital as part of a Sinn Féin citywide campaign to highlight the challenges facing staff and patients in the health system.

Deputy Seán Crowe said: “Tallaght Hospital has faced unique challenges in terms of staff, resources and a shortage of finance since its opening 18 years ago.

“There was an expectation following the amalgamation of the Adelaide, Meath and National Children’s Hospitals that funding would naturally follow, but sadly that hasn’t been the case.

“It’s the busiest trauma hospital in the country so it cannot cherry-pick its patients and has been consistently financially penalised for failing to reach HSE targets.

“The crisis for many patients and their loved ones is going from bad to worse.

“Behind many of these hospital figures are individuals, some in pain, dependent on medication, with their lives on hold while awaiting life-changing procedures.”

Staff shortages, also caused him deep concern, with the lack of hospital beds and vital equipment like an additional MRI machine impacting on the efficient running of the hospital.

He added: “A lack of vision and an implement-ation plan that delivers for our health service has led to the current broken system.

“Most neutral observers would agree that the Government’s health approach is deeply flawed, lacks coherence and is increasingly failing patients across the various sectors, limping from crisis to crisis.

“The new Minister for Health Simon Harris needs to take urgent action to address the growing waiting lists and the scandal of our A&Es.

“The Minister has repeatedly stated that there is no recruitment ban where hospitals have resources to recruit, but he knows that our hospitals like Tallaght are underfunded and under-resourced.

“Soundbites combined with denials and empty government rhetoric will hardly address the failings in current system.

“We need to stop training our nurses and doctors for export. The Programme for Government is high in aspiration and light on detail.

“Investment in the provision of extra beds, extra nurses, step-down facilities, long term care and nursing home beds will also be needed and is the only long-term sensible solution to the waiting list crisis.

“Next Thursday we will be debating the Health Estimates in the Dáil and the Minister will have an opportunity to do just that and begin to address the serious fault lines in our health service.”

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