Letterkenny Hospital: Could this forum help ?...

Paddy20

Having been a critical patient in Letterkenny Hospital, about 12 times in 7 years. I was just wondering if this N.W. Forum's members could contribute some suggestions on how we in the the North West could help to improve our current crisis.

Having been an in-patient usually transferred to St Jame's in Dublin, as I can not be treated in Letterkenny or Sligo. IMHO our HSE is a deteriorating shamble's.

Are we really prepared to put up with this well highlighted disaster.

All suggestions very welcome, as IMHO we are letting our Hospital Consultans, Doctors, G.P's , Nurses etc down ?... and at the end of the day, we the people hold the power, and make it clear that at the very least expect more from our 'tiger economy'

I would also like to make it clear that 'Heart Disease' is the number one killer of both male's and female's in this Country, yet cancer campaign's are given precedence.?..In the North West. Why ??.. The media are very aware of this problem, but without public support they are stuck in a blind alley, as HSE employee's are banned from speaking out publiclly :eek:

P. :cool:

jimmycrackcorm

you can't have all the specialist options in every county hospital - it's just not feasible.

Personally I feel that some GMS patients abuse the system by going to the doctor or Casualty for every little thing.

I also don't think that throwing endless amounts of money at the system will help one iota.

And finally, I would disagree about the heart disease vs cancer argument. I haven't enough fingers to count the number of relations who have had cancer but have only one with heart disease.

donegalman1

Have to agree with Jimmycrackcorm, though it is a pity that so many have to travel so far for treatment. Essentially, many heart problems, not all but many are a result of lifestyle where as cancer can hit regardless.

Paddy is a bit off the mark as many heart disease treatments are available locally but most cancer patients have to travel long distances in very grave pain at a time they need their loved ones.

We need to look as a nation at how we waste resources. The situation at A&E at weekends etc are not going to be solved by money rather peoples own responsibility. Its also amazing also to wait in Doctors surgeries behind loads of people who use the facility frequently because its free to them.

All our systems are abused, councillors actively try to get medical cards and houses for people and some encourage the playing of the system in both cases.

Its a crime to waste police time but not when it comes to healthcare, still both crime and healthcare are equated in terms of peoples attitudes at general election time.

Paddy20

donegalman1 wrote:

Have to agree with Jimmycrackcorm, though it is a pity that so many have to travel so far for treatment. Essentially, many heart problems, not all but many are a result of lifestyle where as cancer can hit regardless.

Paddy is a bit off the mark as many heart disease treatments are available locally but most cancer patients have to travel long distances in very grave pain at a time they need their loved ones.

We need to look as a nation at how we waste resources. The situation at A&E at weekends etc are not going to be solved by money rather peoples own responsibility. Its also amazing also to wait in Doctors surgeries behind loads of people who use the facility frequently because its free to them.

All our systems are abused, councillors actively try to get medical cards and houses for people and some encourage the playing of the system in both cases.

Its a crime to waste police time but not when it comes to healthcare, still both crime and healthcare are equated in terms of peoples attitudes at general election time.

D & J,

Sorry you are both wrong, click here for the truth: http://www.dcu.ie/alumni/summer02/p14.html

Or ask www.irishhealth.com Or simply ask yor G.P.?..

P. :cool:

jimmycrackcorm

P, your source is from 2002.

The brits must have a different approach, a close horse race...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3019801.stm



Still Heart disease is a disease of personal choice; lead a healthy life and you'll be unlikely to suffer from it. Whereas cancer is an indiscrimate murderer.

Paddy20

jimmycrackcorm wrote:

P,



Still Heart disease is a disease of personal choice; lead a healthy life and you'll be unlikely to suffer from it. Whereas cancer is an indiscrimate murderer.

NOT if it is genetically inherited ?.., and can I respectfully suggest you give your
own G.P. a ring , as I was shocked when I was informed of the truth. Plus your link only relate's to men !.TRY READING THIS IRISH LINK: http://www.irishheart.ie/iopen24/catalog/defaultarticle.php?cArticlePath=530

J. you could not be more wrong on this one, as I well know from personal experience. Anyway, I still wish you a Merry Christmas .

It would be nice if 'muffler or nanook' could confirm who is correct on this important health issue ?..

P. :cool:

jimmycrackcorm

Ah well sure we all have to die sometime. I'd better not ring my G.P. in case he would tell me something I'd better off not knowing.

Anyway we're getting off the point. People don't want to have a more efficient health system.

muffler

Paddy20 wrote:

It would be nice if 'muffler or nanook' could confirm who is correct on this important health issue ?..

Thread title is Letterkenny Hospital: Could this forum help ?... so the above comment is inappropriate to the thread Paddy.

Take it to PM's if you wish as muffler and nanook are not interested in declaring a winner in any debate

Paddy20

jimmycrackcorm wrote:

Ah well sure we all have to die sometime. I'd better not ring my G.P. in case he would tell me something I'd better off not knowing.

Anyway we're getting off the point. People don't want to have a more efficient health system.

J,

Did you find the Irish Heart foundation link educational in relation to Ireland's No.1 killer disease of both men and women ?...and I am not in the least interested in being declared "a winner", as my intention was only to express the truth, backed up by the 40 year old Irish Heart Foundation.

Merry Christmas to you and yours.

P. :cool:

K-9

New member and thought I'd comment on this one as there was an item on Prime Time and the Late,Late lately. Well the Late Late was an interview with George? Robinson, the fella who ran Granada TV and other companies for years. He's from Donegal originally and living now in Raphoe. Has done some TV Series on advising on Business.

Anyway he did a program about a hospital in the NHS in England where he adivised on management practices. Think it was for a month but he was very successful on waiting times and lists. Programme was done last year and still effective.

Interesting thing was he did this with ho money, just better management practices. He said the same definitely applies to Ireland. It's not just the HSE's fault. On Prime Time they discussed the Consultants contracts. 33 hr week, Monday to Fri tho alot of them are on call otside this. They are allowed to see public & private patients in a public Hospital! Often though not always the junior doctors look after the public patients and the consultant looks after the private patients and thus his fees. Sounds mad. Imagine if a teacher could leave at lunchtime and go to aprivate school for a nixer! They often don;t start at 9 and nobody pulls them up on it.

The response from the Consultants was it's not us it's the system thats wrong. Was waiting for THe HSE guy to say but your part of the system but no! Hopefully if Mary Harney does one thing right she'l sort this before she leaves office.

I know people who work in LGH and it seems there's to many vested interests. Nurses, consultants, HSE, unions etc. Don't want to sound like Michael O' Leary but it's amazing how private hospitals are ran. Less management especially but also less nurses. How come they can be well run but not public hospitals. Nobody seems to want to do a report on them and see why they work and try and learn from them. Why? The Unions would be up in arms.

jimmycrackcorm

I watched the programme also and was very impressed with Gerry Robinsons management style.

The key problem is that work practices in hospitals have a civil service mentality. Those of us out in the private sector know that if we do not change and adapt then we arrive at a situation where we are waiting to get paid and told there is no money.


You could see that there were people who wanted change and improvement but for the most part vested interests don't allow that to happen.

K-9

Thats why I was so dissappointed with Harney. Not a fan of hers politically but I Thought she could fight the vested interests so hopefully this the one interest she can do something on before she's gone.

Maybe then people can see somebody is interested in fighting the interest groups and to make a real difference. As Gerry Robinson said there seems to be an acceptance and a surrender mentality with the situation generally, even with the public.

Actually felt sorry for the HSE guy even though they're management is part of the problem. When some of the vested groups are asked to change u get the same response. We're not changing, it's not us, it's the system. U are the bloody system as well!

I thought the Children's hospital debate really showed it. The different hospitals fighting each other. People giving out about access to it. As the HSE said name me that magical site in Dublin were everybody can be in 20 minutes. Everybody seems to want one 20 mins away!

And that was only the Dubs! Nobody mentions Donegal or Kerry. 4/6 Hours travelling, overnight stays etc.

Seems to be the HSE are damned if they do nothing and damned if they do. They actually made a decision. There never is going to be a perfect site. Just get on with it. Too many opinions and not enough action. Next thing the Unions will be looking for €1,000s in relocation expenses!

Then again the HSE should be able to make a decision. I think there was at least 7 Health Boards and not one person lost their job when the HSE amalgamated all of them! Madness all round.

Definitely needs a Michael O' Leary approach. Cut thro the red tape. He would need better man management skills tho! I see Amnesty Int. have said Ryanairs Human Rights record is worse than Turkey but better than China. China is suing!

jimmycrackcorm

When will we ever be able to sack or get rid of inefficient or excess civil servants? When will state agencies such as the HSE start operating more like their brethern commercial entities? Gerry Robinson showed this is possible by facilitating the consultants on the programme taking on two additional patients per clinic.

As I watched the Monaghan hospital closure protests saga, my observation was that people weren't so much upset about the actual closure of the hospital but by the lack of access to emergency A&E. I don't think we really mind a local hospital closure if we are assured that the resources saved could be diverted to a class leading facility available an hours drive away. However the flaw is with A&E as initial treatment is needed as quickly as possible. Surely it should be possible to upgrade some local doctor centres to facilitate A&E trauma centres.

K-9

Primary care was a big issue in 2001 but nothing was ever done. It was revisited again and the HSE was hoping to have 100 clinics around the country and eventually 500/600. Don't think there is one in Donegal. Remember reading that a Private one was opened in Dublin last year. Be interesting to see how that develops.

The GP's seem to say they're willing to facilitate it but they say the funding isn't there and that the the HSE is insisting on a minimum of 3 GP's per clinic and this discriminates rural areas. I would take issue with that and say u can't have a 24 hr primary care unit if there's only 1 GP. Doesn't make practical sense.

They could be right on the funding tho. Something like 60% of funding for Health goes on wages or just employing the same people in the same system. Sounds like one of those plans that are issued in great publicity and with great cost but just gather dust. Vested interests again, this time GP's v. HSE and nothing gets done.

The GP's say it's not being funded. The HSE will say how can you fund something that hasn't been agreed properly and isn't being implemented.