Connolly Hospital Updates

ChewChew

Hi folks. . .

just thought I would bring the following to yer attention, as not too many people are aware that all Impact trade union members who work in the HSE/public sector are going on a 'work to rule' strike from this coming wednesday the 21st may.

Basically they have refused to refill job vacancies among Social workers, Physiotherapists & clerical staff which means these staff members have been working overtime and much longer hours than they are contracted too do, all in the name of good will you ensure a better standard within the HSE. unfortunatley we have been unable to achieve this, because of they severe staff shortages.

How will this effect Connolly Hospital?? one answer. . . hugely.

Impact members will operate on a work to rule. Members will ONLY do the work they are contracted to do. overtime will not be done. we will not help out those who are absent from work for whatever reason. we will not take on extra work loads or responibilites.

Will the patient suffer?? again one answer. . . most likely. unfortunately.

It is not our intention to make the patient suffer. At the end of the day, we are there to try to help these people. not to make their lives any worse.

We are not going on strike looking for more money. All we want is some more HELP. we need extra staff. badly.

So yes, this is going to have a huge knock on effect at Connolly. For me, personally, because of the job I do, this is going to be very very hard. But we have to draw the line somewhere. I really hope the government realise this, and replace the staff who have not yet been replaced in the last year. Realistically, the above is fr the patients benefit.

Nevyn

Thanks for the heads up Chewchew.

ChewChew

Hi guys,

Just a quick update.

There will be an all out 1 hour stoppage by IMPACT trade union members in Connolly hospital (also Beaumont & Dr Steevens) at 1pm to 2pm on wednesday 11th June.

Members will be on the picket line for this hour.

ChewChew

Well it appears the new layout should be ready soon enough with the berrier system and also the pay parking which was supposed to come into effect last October. Never mind that, at least now it is happening.

January

Pay parking at a hospital is just taking the piss... especially if staff have to pay for it

*Dallas

paid carparking in a hospital??

that is a flipping joke! i go to the outpatients every 4-5months and i could be sitting there for 4 hours waiting to see someone.

I hope patients dont have to pay.. there's nowhere else within walking distance that you can use as an alternative!

Zaph

It's a reality in other hospitals, and has been for a long time. St. Vincents have been charging for years because people were parking their cars there and getting the DART to work from Sydney Parade station, which is only a couple of minutes walk from the hospital. I spent months going there on an almost weekly basis for checkups and physio and it cost me a fortune. Similarly the Mater have been charging for a long time because office workers in the area were using the car park. Much and all as it písses me off and has cost me a fair bit in the past, I can kind of understand it in those hospitals as the charge is there to act as a deterrent to those not needing to visit the hospital.

However, the one that really annoyed me recently was the Hermitage in Lucan. There's nothing at all beside it and yet they charge €2.30 an hour. That's just a cynical money making exercise, and unfortunately it seems that Connolly is employing the same tactics, although I'm open to correction from Chewie on large numbers of people parking there and not visiting the hospital.

PauloMN

Well said Zaph, completely agree.

I spent a lot of weekends visiting my father in St. Vincents at over €2 per hour (think it was €2.20 per hour). Even 5 minutes over and it would be another full hour. This was at weekends, not just during the week.

I have no problem in covering the cost of provision of a car park, and even an exponential pricing scale to eliminate people (not patients or visitors) parking there all day long. However, calling in to see a relative at the weekend for an hour and a half and having to fork out the guts of a fiver just for parking is nothing short of criminal imo. I think hospital car parking should be provided free for patients, and at a reasonable cost for visitors, like €1 per hour or similar.

athtrasna

ChewChew wrote: »

Well it appears the new layout should be ready soon enough with the berrier system and also the pay parking which was supposed to come into effect last October. Never mind that, at least now it is happening.

Will the road still be open to through traffic? The new junction isn't particularly car-friendly but if you live at the back of Waterville, this road is a key access point to the village.

ChewChew

adrieanne__x wrote: »

Pay parking at a hospital is just taking the piss... especially if staff have to pay for it

*Dallas wrote: »

paid carparking in a hospital??

that is a flipping joke! i go to the outpatients every 4-5months and i could be sitting there for 4 hours waiting to see someone.

I hope patients dont have to pay.. there's nowhere else within walking distance that you can use as an alternative!

Most if not all Dublin hospitals have pay parking.

Of course patients are going to have to pay. thats the point really! Staff. . No.

Zaph wrote: »

It's a reality in other hospitals, and has been for a long time. St. Vincents have been charging for years because people were parking their cars there and getting the DART to work from Sydney Parade station, which is only a couple of minutes walk from the hospital. I spent months going there on an almost weekly basis for checkups and physio and it cost me a fortune. Similarly the Mater have been charging for a long time because office workers in the area were using the car park. Much and all as it písses me off and has cost me a fair bit in the past, I can kind of understand it in those hospitals as the charge is there to act as a deterrent to those not needing to visit the hospital.

However, the one that really annoyed me recently was the Hermitage in Lucan. There's nothing at all beside it and yet they charge €2.30 an hour. That's just a cynical money making exercise, and unfortunately it seems that Connolly is employing the same tactics, although I'm open to correction from Chewie on large numbers of people parking there and not visiting the hospital.

thats it zaph. pretty much every hospital has pay parking. and at the end of the day, the money the hospital gets from pay parking goes directly to the hospital. So its not all bad. It means they can 'try' to improve the services they already provide.

Also, I dont think too many people (if any) use the car park and then just head off. its not really central enough for anything to be worth anyone's while, but I stand to be corrected!

PauloMN wrote: »

Well said Zaph, completely agree.

I spent a lot of weekends visiting my father in St. Vincents at over €2 per hour (think it was €2.20 per hour). Even 5 minutes over and it would be another full hour. This was at weekends, not just during the week.

I have no problem in covering the cost of provision of a car park, and even an exponential pricing scale to eliminate people (not patients or visitors) parking there all day long. However, calling in to see a relative at the weekend for an hour and a half and having to fork out the guts of a fiver just for parking is nothing short of criminal imo. I think hospital car parking should be provided free for patients, and at a reasonable cost for visitors, like €1 per hour or similar.

I dont think to eliminiate patients & visitors from paying would work because most of the traffic is patients & visitors.

athtrasna wrote: »

Will the road still be open to through traffic? The new junction isn't particularly car-friendly but if you live at the back of Waterville, this road is a key access point to the village.

the only entrance for patients & visitors will be from the main street.

Zaph

ChewChew wrote: »

the only entrance for patients & visitors will be from the main street.

So you won't be able to get to the hospital by going through Waterville? Whose dumbass idea was it to add more traffic to the Main Street?

As regards using the money made from the car parks to improve services, maybe in some places they do, but most of the car parks are run as a profit making enterprise by outside firms, so the hospitals only get a portion of the income. That's not good enough imo, if they want to charge they should be ruinningthe car parks themselves and benefitting from all the income, less whatever expenses it costs to run it.

ChewChew

Zaph wrote: »

So you won't be able to get to the hospital by going through Waterville? Whose dumbass idea was it to add more traffic to the Main Street?

well ya see there is going to be a new entrance on the auburn roundabout on the N3 but I'm not sure exactly when that will be open although I believe it is completed. The watervill entrance will only be for staff, ambulance, buses & taxis.

Zaph wrote: »

As regards using the money made from the car parks to improve services, maybe in some places they do, but most of the car parks are run as a profit making enterprise by outside firms, so the hospitals only get a portion of the income. That's not good enough imo, if they want to charge they should be ruinningthe car parks themselves and benefitting from all the income, less whatever expenses it costs to run it.

I stand to be corrected on this one as I am not 100% sure about it but afaik in 2years time the car park will be under the security of the hospitals own security but will be done privately for that period.

athtrasna

As someone living in Waterville this is disastrous!! While I would never use the hospital as a first choice route, there are times, especially around Christmas where the hospital is a vital route to avoid the chaos around the shopping centre!

Oh and the new entrance will be off Scott's roundabout not the Auburn roundabout. It's built but blocked off due to some wrangling with the council AFAIK. There is talk that this road won't be open until the M50 junction is upgraded!!

Nevyn

athtrasna wrote: »

There is talk that this road won't be open until the M50 junction is upgraded!!

That is what I heard.

Zaph

Which one's Scott's roundabout?

Nevyn

Zaph wrote: »

Which one's Scott's roundabout?

The one right after the m50 roundabout which had the turn off for the village.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=blanchardstown&sll=53.344104,-6.267494&sspn=0.171761,0.500565&g=Dublin,+Co.+Dublin,+Republic+of+Ireland&ie=UTF8&ll=53.384275,-6.369195&spn=0.010725,0.031285&t=h&z=15

Zaph

Thanks Thaed

January

It's the Blanchardstown Roundabout... beside the entrance to Total Fitness...

PauloMN

ChewChew wrote: »

I dont think to eliminiate patients & visitors from paying would work because most of the traffic is patients & visitors.

Like I said, a reasonable charge of something like €1 an hour for visitors would be acceptable imo. This could rise to a few euros per hour after say 3 hours to eliminate any all-day commuter parking (although I can't really see that being an issue with Connolly hospital).

However I think charging patients parking is just awful. It's bad enough having to go to hospital without having to pay for parking. Plus as a patient, many times you'll have no idea how long you'll actually be there for, so a charge of say €2.50 an hour could really mount up. At least as a visitor you'll know it's an hour or two in general.

ChewChew

athtrasna wrote: »

As someone living in Waterville this is disastrous!! While I would never use the hospital as a first choice route, there are times, especially around Christmas where the hospital is a vital route to avoid the chaos around the shopping centre!

Oh and the new entrance will be off Scott's roundabout not the Auburn roundabout. It's built but blocked off due to some wrangling with the council AFAIK. There is talk that this road won't be open until the M50 junction is upgraded!!

well I think thats part of the reason for the closure of that entrance. there is just far too much traffic going through which is not for the hospital.

and I figured scotts & auburn roundabout were the same. my bad. Anyways, the entrance will be at the total fitness roundabout!

I also heard that this entrance wont be open untill 2012

PauloMN wrote: »

Like I said, a reasonable charge of something like €1 an hour for visitors would be acceptable imo. This could rise to a few euros per hour after say 3 hours to eliminate any all-day commuter parking (although I can't really see that being an issue with Connolly hospital).

However I think charging patients parking is just awful. It's bad enough having to go to hospital without having to pay for parking. Plus as a patient, many times you'll have no idea how long you'll actually be there for, so a charge of say €2.50 an hour could really mount up. At least as a visitor you'll know it's an hour or two in general.

i agree. but I think there will something like a max payment per day so if you are in the hospital for 8 hours you only pay a max of about €10 or something like that.

ChewChew

Pay Parking will be in place as of April 2009.

1daisy1

Some hospitals give a monthly charge for patients and relatives of patients that will use the car park frequently, check with them.

athtrasna

ChewChew wrote: »

well I think thats part of the reason for the closure of that entrance. there is just far too much traffic going through which is not for the hospital.

Fingal Co Co say they have had no notice of any closure of the road, total or partial?

athtrasna

Any more info on this. Have emailed all the Councillors but not a single reply. Funny, I thought there was an election this year!

ChewChew

AFAIK it will all be in operation from April with pay parking and barriers in place.

All staff car parks are clearly pointed out but patients/visitors seem to be unable to read these signs and are blocking staff car parks (when spaces are seriously limited as it is) so the sooner the pay parking comes in the better!

ChewChew

Just a little update on how things are at the minute:

Well unfortunately A&E overcrowding is still suffering a little with overcrowding having a knock on effect on elective admissions but hopefully now with the really good weather things will ease up a little, but as we all know with the cutbacks sometimes there are some things which cant be avoided.

Staff carparks have been solely allocated throughout the hospital campus but pay parking has not been implemented just yet for patients/visitors.

And as of May 31st, Connolly hospital has become a tobacco free campus. There are no designated area's within the hospital grounds for patients, visitors or staff to smoke!

Gaspode

The smoke-free thing is intersting, I wonder how much will need to be ploughed into resourcing the policing of the ban. It may turn out to be too difficult to prevent smokers from just lighting up outside when they feel like it.

On the parking, are you saying there's no parking at all for patients/visitors?

Random

I'm reading that as "there are designated car parks for staff that patients / visitors can't park in" rather than "only staff can park there" - is that right?

As for the no smoking thing... that's very interesting. Looking to see how that turns out!

ChewChew

Gaspode, staff car parks were always signposted but constantly abused by patient/visitors so now we have barriers in place so it is restricted to staff only who have a swipe card.

As for the tobacco free campus. Tbh, I cant see it working too well. They have out alot into it and I think have put a good bit of money into the campaining of it but I really cant see how it will be policed.

Personally (and I am a non-smoker) I dont think it is very fair to have a 100% tobacco free campus. Its not fair to patients who are there days or weeks on end. reality is, People smoke and why should they be denied a designated area to do so? also staff members. Nurses and doctors especially work crazy hours. 12 hours shifts. now I really cant see the justice in that.

I know smoking is very bad for your health and in a hospital it really shouldn't be encouraged but I do think it should be acknowledged that it is an international issue that is never going to go way so why punish the patients? A very vulnerable group within our society.

Gaspode

I agree, I dont smoke either but a blanket ban is over-tough, and well, unfair really.
Mind you, when I was in the Mater a few years ago, I couldnt get over the amount of patients outside with drains hanging from their chest to clear their lungs, and they puffing away in the smoking area! Made me mad as hell!

Pineapple stu

There is a smoking shelter at the a&e car park.
Ive had to go to a&e 3 times this year and i found them very good. I got seen in good time seeing that they were busy at the time. What people who give out about waiting times have to remember is that they have a priority scale and if you are not in any pain or have a serious problem then you will have a longer wait than those who do and those are brought in by ambulances. Ive read in the papers that people complain that they are left on a trolly for a number of hours , at least they are lying down and being seen too. As you all know A&E can be a busy place and the doctors work non stop to see to as many people as possible. Its people showing up with silly complaints whilst on the medical card that add to waiting time and those showing up drunk after hurting themselves whilst being drunk.
All i can say about the staff of blanch hospital that delt with me is that they are hard working and sound with no complaints from me. 10/10