Scairbh
Na
gCaorach
EMYVALE
Trolley Watch.
Once again the needs of patients and patient safety must take second place to ‘money’ in our health service and where is our Minister? No where to be seen as usual when emergencies arise. A few years ago there were big numbers on trolleys and she declared a National Emergency and issued ten points which would solve the problem. It was never solved and today, Wednesday January 5th, there were 569 patients lying on trolleys in hospitals throughout the country. In Cavan there were 28 yesterday,Tuesday, and 28 today. In Drogheda there were 23 on Tuesday and 27 today.
The HSE made little of patient concerns!! Their answer is that they got the total down by 300 to around 270 by afternoon. So it was OK then to have 569 lying on trolleys in the first place??!! The claimed that there was an increase in the numbers attending A & E s because of the Swine Flu and also claimed that many of those attending A & E should not have been there in the first place. They should have been at home being attended by relatives no doubt!! However it does not matter why a person goes to A & E in this issue. The fact is that all those lying on trolleys have been examined by a medical person and deemed to need Hospital treatment and therefore needs a bed in the hospital. If they do not need in-hospital treatment they are sent home. The numbers on trolleys for whatever reason need a bed, which is not there for them.
How did the HSE get the number down? They cancelled operations that were planned, and will cancel more tomorrow and the day after until they get the numbers on trolleys down or the media moves on to something else. Meanwhile all those who were prepared for surgery will have to wait - this is not a patient centred or a patient safe decision - this could be disastrous for some patients. Now with the big numbers on trolleys in Cavan, surgery had to be cancelled there too and will be in the coming weeks. That means that some of your relatives or friends may be effected - so it is not something happening away in the distance or just in Dublin, Cork or Limerick. It could be you or me.
Another method they use to keep trolley figures down is to do day-surgery instead of over-night. We have had many stories from patients who had a day-procedure and then sent home and spent an awful night of pain and fear. Some had to go back and spend over a week in hospital recovering. Others told of family sitting up with them and worried sick not knowing what best to do and then having to take days off work to look after the patient at home.
However they have tried all these methods before but it did not relieve the situation. What will?
First they should never have closed Monaghan, Dundalk, Nenagh, Ennis, Bantry, etc etc. The Clinical Director in Cork admitted that it was the medical patient who was blocking the system. Those types of conditions could have and were treated safely and efficiently in places like Monaghan. Had the beds still been available in places like Monaghan then they could have taken the overflow from the major hospitals and let them carry on with the planned surgery.
Secondly they should stop trying to convince the Irish Public that what they are trying to achieve will give us a great health service. It is getting worse with every step they take. They are following plans recommended by so called ‘experts’. Are these ‘experts’ better than the ‘experts’ who advised them on how to handle the economy and then to get out of recession. Are they listening to the wrong advisers as they did when they let this country go down the tubes and sold out to Europe and the IMF? Are they pandering to the ‘vested interests’ who will profit from the implementation of the plans they recommend to Government? These questions must be answered and the sooner the better. Otherwise let there be an election and perhaps we can get a different approach, though I’m not too sure of that either.
There are a number of the current Fianna Fail TDs not going forward in the next election. Some would claim that they want to get the big handout for pension, which might be scrapped or at least reduced in the coming months. It is claimed that they will get more by way of pension than they would as a backbench TD. I think there are a number of things encouraging them to pull back and call it a day. One strange thing I notice is: there seems to be a link between hospitals and health issues and the names of those who have declared themselves ‘out’. E.G. – Dr. Rory O’Hanlon with Monaghan General Hospital; Dermot Aherne with Louth Hospital in Dundalk; Michael Finneran with Roscommon Hospital; Tony Killeen with Ennis General Hospital; Noel Dempsey with Navan General Hospital; Jim McDaid with Letterkenny. Is this all coincidental? All these hospitals are under threat or downgraded. Will we see someone in the following areas - Bantry; North Tipperary; Clonmel; Wexford; Kerry; Mallow; Portlaoise; Portiuncla Ballinsloe; Castlebar; Wicklow; etc and will we see candidates for other parties pulling back as they would fear finding themselves in a position of having to defend the hospital if they got into power?
A doctor has called on the people of Ireland, at least 300,000 people, to arrive
at Dail Eireann gates on the day the TDs return and to bring a saucepan with you
and just keep banging it until they decide to listen to the ordinary people of this
country. It should happen but are 300,000 even interested?