Let's have an Emergency Protest at the Regional Hospital to defend our services

Cianpop

It is now clear that the statements by Limerick Regional Hospital on Sunday that 24hr A&E services could be in danger due to the lack of Junior Doctors, and the almost immediate statements that this was not the case are choreographed attempts to divert attention from the real serious cutbacks that are taking place at the Regional Hospital, the ongoing crisis in the A&E and the emerging critical lack of Junior Doctors wiling to work in these appalling conditions. With that in mind, a protest is being organised tomorrow (Friday) from 6pm at the Regional Hospital to say clearly "End the Threats, Stop the Cuts - Defend our Health Services!". The Campign for a Real Public Health Service, who called the protest, are also planning a public meeting is also planned for next week to discuss the crisis in health services in the Mid West.

This protest is being organised both in response to the recent threat and subsequent confusion being stirred up about possible downgrading the of Regional A&E service, and the already existing crisis and planned cutbacks that are taking place there.

Under vast pressure from cutbacks, centralisation, lack of staff and subsequent over working of health workers, the health service is lurching from crisis to crisis. This latest crisis, where so far the Regional Hospital has been unable to get enough junior doctors (NCHDs) to staff the A&E, and have threatened shutting it at night time, is just the latest. It must be seen in the context of constant and consistent cutbacks in health, and deteriorating quality of service at the Regional. Back in February the Medical Board at the Regional came out and said that the hospital and A&E were crumbling under the pressure of centralisation, saying:

“There are not enough beds at Mid-Western Regional Hospital, Limerick. There are deficiencies also in other essential elements of the service including staffing levels and infrastructure in the emergency department and the department of radiology, and there is an enormous strain on the intensive care facilities. The cancellation of planned surgical procedures is now a routine occurrence due to bed pressures” URL="http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0203/1224288890957.html"]source[/URL

Then in May, Consultant Paul Burke warned Michael Noonan that due to budget cuts the Regional Hospital would being forced to "reduce elective surgical activity, close operating theatres, reduce drug costs and possibly close beds", but Noonan refused to reverse any of the cuts URL="http://www.examiner.ie/ireland/consultant-told-make-do-with-hospital-budget-156354.html"]source[/URL. The savage cuts to the health budget have meant that many hospitals have found themselves over budget so far for this year, meaning savage cuts will be coming in the latter half of this year. Limerick Regional hospital is one of the worst affected by this, not least because of the pressure caused by downgrading Ennis, Nenagh and St. John's A&Es, centralisating services to Limerick URL="http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0614/1224298863980.html"]source[/URL.

Rather than solve the crisis that currently exists in the Regional, the government and the HSE are trying to soften up the people of Limerick and the mid west for more savage cuts. We have already seen the closure of two theatres in St. John's in recent weeks. The threat of cutting the opening hours of the Regional A&E must be seen in this light. This threat was raised as part of the ongoing national crisis regarding a lack of Non-Consultant Hospital Doctors, otherwise known as Junior Doctors, primarliy due to the terrible working conditions, and huge amount of hours they are expected to work. The responsibility for this lies with the HSE and the government - they have run the health service into the ground, cut staff numbers to the bone so it is therefore dependent on huge sacrifices from Junior Doctors.

The government are now saying that this crisis will be averted, at least for Limerick, and the HSE Area Manager for Limerick, Bernard Gloster, has told the Socialist Party (which I'm, a member of) that they have "no intention of taking the A&E off call" and that, whilst they still have a almost 50% shortfall in the number of NCHDs they believe they will make up the difference some how by July 11th. Leaving aside, for a second, that this is far from a cast iron guarantee, the threats to other important services as a result of the lack of NCHDs remain, and the broader issue of the continuing crisis at the A&E, made worse by the cutbacks expected in the next months, continues. With this uncertainty and the threat of 'death by a million cuts' still hanging over our health service in mind, I am calling on everyone who is concerned about the attacks on our health services to turn out on Friday for the emergency protest from 6pm on at the Regional Hospital to demand decent health services for all.

- Cian Prendiville
Campaign for a Real Public Health Service
(and also Socialist Party)