Looking Like Savage Cuts at WRH

thomasm

Looks like fairly savage cuts for WRH. On the same day we give the unsecured bond holders in Anglo €1.2 Billion



http://www.independent.ie/national-news/cancer-patients-to-lose-service-2998915.html



PATIENT numbers at Waterford Regional Hospital are set to be drastically reduced, with 2,200 fewer people treated a year because of budget cuts.
Operating theatres, wards and beds have already started to close to save cash at one of the country's busiest hospitals.
However, even more drastic measures are on the cards with cancer patients, those with debilitating arthritic conditions, and children set to be affected by further planned cuts.
A draft document on action to bring in €14m budget cuts shows the effect of the hospital's financial problems.
The internal memo, obtained by the Irish Independent, outlines how €7m can be clawed back by taking drastic measures including:
-Slashing day cases treated annually by 10pc -- or 2,000 fewer people a year.
-Decrease of in-patients by 5pc -- or 200 fewer a year.
-Closure of two of the hospital's operating theatres. One already closed last year.
-Closure of a ward with 25 in-patient beds.
-Closure of four more paediatric beds, after six closed in 2011.
-One intensive care bed, one critical care bed, and two regional neo-natal intensive care beds to go.
-Radiology for cancer patients to be slashed by a quarter to save the hospital €180,000.
-Treatment for patients on expensive drugs for arthritic conditions to be cut.
Other cuts include a planned reduction in the spend on agency nurses, and a delay in the replacement of three consultants. The document clearly shows that acute services are to be hit hardest. It warns that patients will be affected by a "reduction in theatre availability and impact on scheduled care".
Staff will also be affected -- they will have to re-arrange rosters and increase on-call rotas.
The HSE last night responded to the cuts by stating nothing had been finalised in WRH.
"The HSE South is currently in the process of finalising its regional service plan," it said.
Waterford senator, David Cullinane, raised the matter in the Seanad stating that cancer care and complex surgeries were "under real threat" in the south-east.

wmpdd3

While like most people, I'd be outraged at this, I want to see what other cuts the managers made to the hospital, to bring in the budget.

I get the feeling that cutting a little bit from every patients' department, is a way for the management to get patients groups outraged and fighting for more money from the government.

Seems to be no shortage of money for redesigning the A&E entrance and moving smoking huts to front gate. Can you access WRH accounts online?

This happened in Crumlin 2 years ago, only front line services' budgets were cut and the usual groups that have been fighting for more money with years were expected to ensure more money was secured from the government, but when there groups examined the budget they discovered some support services were increased at the detriment of the front line services.

spankmemunkey

I have to say i really feel for staff and patients affected but id rather a limb go septic and fall off than go out to the third world conditions in WRH and it will only get worse now with these cuts!

Ye end up sicker coming out than when ye went in!

mozattack

Its the doctors paid €200k - €250k per annum AND then are allowed to run a private practice in the same office up there. Couldn't make this up but I know it as a fact.

The likes of them, the teachers and the garda are wrecking the country but won't be touched.

Finnbar01

Why doesn't the government start from the top and get rid of most of our QUANGO's?

Yes Boss

In what other industry would the customer accept the argument that the service we provide is going to reduce in quality because we have to cut the budget? Unwilling, to look at operating hours (roister), wages, uncertified sick pay, etc etc...I for one don't buy the Union propaganda anymore...:(

jayboi

Finnbar01 wrote: »

Why doesn't the government start from the top and get rid of most of our QUANGO's?

Because they created those Quangos and there full of political appointees which are mainly party supporters.

Finnbar01

jayboi wrote: »

Because they created those Quangos and there full of political appointees which are mainly party supporters.

I know.

It's very depressing.

dayshah

Finnbar01 wrote: »

Why doesn't the government start from the top and get rid of most of our QUANGO's?

NAME the quangos you want rid of.

I'm sick of listening to people say, oh I want cuts the government is spending too much.

Do you think anyone considers cuts to hospitals an easy way out? If you have ideas of painless ways to make savings name them.

mozattack wrote: »

Its the doctors paid €200k - €250k per annum AND then are allowed to run a private practice in the same office up there. Couldn't make this up but I know it as a fact.

The likes of them, the teachers and the garda are wrecking the country but won't be touched.

Sure why not just cut our entire departments of justice and education. We'd make great savings. Instead we can put the money into the banks because they do such a fantastic job.

I'm not happy with the pay of our consultants, but how many overpaid consultants do you think are in WRH?

Yes Boss wrote: »

In what other industry would the customer accept the argument that the service we provide is going to reduce in quality because we have to cut the budget? Unwilling, to look at operating hours (roister), wages, uncertified sick pay, etc etc...I for one don't buy the Union propaganda anymore...

Yes our all conquering private sector (despite the fact that our 3 biggest private sector firms are bust). I've yet to see anyone in the private sector work as hard as our nurses.

dayshah

jayboi wrote: »

Because they created those Quangos and there full of political appointees which are mainly party supporters.

Mainly FF party supporters :rolleyes:

Who do you think staffed them? Why would FG or Lab care about them if they are just FF hacks?

wmpdd3

^^^

Well, now we all know why managers wont make those decisions.

I still say, these front line cuts are made to envoke public outcry so the managers can come out as having their hands tied.

I'll be asking my TD to explore what other cuts have been made in WRH since last year. Fair enough if its been across the board but I seriously doubt it.

dayshah

wmpdd3 wrote: »

^^^

Well, now we all know why managers wont make those decisions.

I still say, these front line cuts are made to envoke public outcry so the managers can come out as having their hands tied.

I'll be asking my TD to explore what other cuts have been made in WRH since last year. Fair enough if its been across the board but I seriously doubt it.

It could be a political tactic. If I had my way all accounts of public bodies would be on the internet.

jayboi

dayshah wrote: »

Mainly FF party supporters :rolleyes:

Who do you think staffed them? Why would FG or Lab care about them if they are just FF hacks?

Id take a crazy guess and say they want to put their own hacks in :rolleyes:

dayshah

jayboi wrote: »

Id take a crazy guess and say they want to put their own hacks in :rolleyes:

Then why don't they do that?

I'm no fan of the current government, but what you say makes no sense whatsoever.

Finnbar01

dayshah wrote: »

NAME the quangos you want rid of.

I'm sick of listening to people say, oh I want cuts the government is spending too much.

Do you think anyone considers cuts to hospitals an easy way out? If you have ideas of painless ways to make savings name them.

I never said cuts would be painless.

We are caught between a rock and a hard place. We were spending €13 billion on quangos in 2006 alone, on over 800 quangos.

And then we have funding for fake charities and NGO's that should also be cut.

Cuts in health care should be last.

dayshah

Finnbar01 wrote: »

I never said cuts would be painless.

We are caught between a rock and a hard place. We were spending €13 billion on quangos in 2006 alone, on over 800 quangos.

And then we have funding for fake charities and NGO's that should also be cut.

Cuts in health care should be last.

Great, we'll make this years decisions based on 2006 figures???

Why not NAME the quangos you want rid of instead of just complaining?

jayboi

dayshah wrote: »

Then why don't they do that?

I'm no fan of the current government, but what you say makes no sense whatsoever.

http://www.independent.ie/opinion/columnists/shane-ross/shane-ross-cronies-win-quangos-a-reprieve-2940066.html
I said they government dont want to get rid of quangos so they can eventually fill them with their own appointees

You think that makes no sense? Are you sure your not being naive?

Finnbar01

dayshah wrote: »

Great, we'll make this years decisions based on 2006 figures???

Why not NAME the quangos you want rid of instead of just complaining?

€13 billion in 2006, how much are we paying out for them now? I don't know but I would guess it's probably over the €10 billion mark.

dayshah

jayboi wrote: »

http://www.independent.ie/opinion/columnists/shane-ross/shane-ross-cronies-win-quangos-a-reprieve-2940066.html
I said they government dont want to get rid of quangos so they can eventually fill them with their own appointees

You think that makes no sense? Are you sure your not being naive?

Ah, an opposition TDs opinion piece in The Irish Independent. A truly reputable source no less.

If the government wanted they could close the Quangos and establish new ones with their cronies.

EDIT: Anyway which of the two Quangos mentioned do you want rid of?

The Sports Council or Bord Bia???

dayshah

Finnbar01 wrote: »

€13 billion in 2006, how much are we paying out for them now? I don't know but I would guess it's probably over the €10 billion mark.

And which of the Quangos that you guess still exist do you want rid of to save money for WRH???

Finnbar01

dayshah wrote: »

And which of the Quangos that you guess still exist do you want rid of to save money for WRH???

The majority of quango's that are classified under the following:

* Justice, Equality and Law Reform.
* Environment, Heritage and Local Government.
* Arts, Sport and Tourism.
* Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs.

dayshah

Finnbar01 wrote: »

The majority of quango's that are classified under the following:

* Justice, Equality and Law Reform.
* Environment, Heritage and Local Government.
* Arts, Sport and Tourism.
* Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs.

Which of those do you want rid of an how much would they save?

Are you aware the following departments don't even exist anymore:
* Environment, Heritage and Local Government;
* Arts, Sport and Tourism;
* Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs?

The were various mergers and realignments.


Are you aware that the €13bn you referred to included the entire capital budget of the NRA and RPA.

Well we could have shaved something of that €13bn if the NRA didn't bother with the new bridge.


So again, I ask, NAME the quangos you want rid of to save money for WRH.

Finnbar01

dayshah wrote: »

Which of those do you want rid of an how much would they save?

Are you aware the following departments don't even exist anymore:

Mere name changing, thats all.

* Environment, Heritage and Local Government --> Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government

* Arts, Sport and Tourism; --> Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht

* Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs? --> Department of Children and Youth Affairs

Were any savings made on these name changes?

So again, I ask, NAME the quangos you want rid of to save money for WRH.

Quango's under those departments should be either merged (with savings made), closed down or privatised.

And that's just for a start.

dayshah

Finnbar01 wrote: »

Quango's under those departments should be either merged (with savings made), closed down or privatised.

And that's just for a start.

And despite asking three times, you still can't even name a single quango you want rid of, let alone the quangos you would scrap to raise the €7 million needed for WRH.

jayboi

dayshah wrote: »

Ah, an opposition TDs opinion piece in The Irish Independent. A truly reputable source no less.

If the government wanted they could close the Quangos and establish new ones with their cronies.

EDIT: Anyway which of the two Quangos mentioned do you want rid of?

The Sports Council or Bord Bia???

If you read my posts correctly you might notice i never suggested getting rid of anything, I mearly stated that the government wont.

It makes no difference that it was in the independent or that an opposition member wrote it, it stated fact he didn't hypothesise that these people were appointed or their party and personal connections, if you bothered to actually take the time to stop and to understand what I'm saying is that FG and labour have and are not above making political appointments. As I'm also sure you are aware of the recent judges appointments and their connections.

But sure look the important thing to remember is you cant be wrong.:rolleyes:

Finnbar01

dayshah wrote: »

And despite asking three times, you still can't even name a single quango you want rid of, let alone the quangos you would scrap to raise the €7 million needed for WRH.

I gave you an example of 4 departments where we could make cuts. I would go as far as saying getting rid of some of the governmental departments altogether.

ToxicPaddy

An interesting article on proposals on getting rid of some quangos, merging others and all this was proposed by the cabinet in Nov 2011

Link

THE CABINET is to consider plans to abolish, merge or rationalise over 20 agencies or so-called quangos next year as part of a new implementation plan for public service reform.

At their meeting tomorrow, Government Ministers are also expected to be asked to reaffirm plans to abolish or merge about 30 other agencies or quangos which were previously announced.

Ministers will also examine a list of other agencies which could be rationalised in the years ahead.

Among the proposals drawn up by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform is that the Irish Sports Council should be incorporated back into the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport.

Under the proposals the National Sports Campus Development Authority, established originally to develop a sports campus at Abbotstown in west Dublin, would be discontinued.

The proposals would see Irish Water Safety subsumed into the Department of the Environment while the Heritage Council and Culture Ireland would be incorporated into the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.

The plan would also see the National Library and the National Museum share services in the future.

Some of the changes proposed for agencies would require primary legislation, and in other cases contractual issues could arise.

The Cabinet is also to look at proposals which would see a “sunset clause” or a date for dissolution being set out for any new agency or quango established in the future.

Last week Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar said the Department of Public Expenditure had proposed cutting 106 State agencies, but this figure was likely to be scaled back to about 50.

The figure of 106 agencies in the frame for rationalisation is understood to include those previously announced, those to be announced this week and others that could be examined in the future.

Under other plans to be considered by the Cabinet, there would be a review of the functional areas of the 30 or more city and county enterprise boards and an examination of the potential to merge some of these.

Among the proposals which the Cabinet will be asked to reaffirm is the amalgamation of the Further Education and Training Awards, the Higher Education and Training Award Council and the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland.

Ministers will also be asked to restate their support for merging the National Roads Authority with the Railway Procurement Agency and the Competition Authority with the National Consumer Agency.

The Cabinet will also consider a new implementation plan for reforming the public service with commitments in relation to redeployment of staff, the introduction of greater shared services, improved e-government and more centralised procurement.

Ministers will also examine a new report drawn up by the implementation body for the Croke Park agreement. This will say the number of staff in the public service has fallen below the 300,000 level – the figure now stands at about 297,000 – for the first time since 2006.

The Cabinet will also consider proposals for a new framework on how the reduction in public service numbers set out in the programme for government – potentially up to 41,000 by 2015 – would be implemented. However, the official employment control ceiling for the Civil Service, local authorities, health and education sectors is not expected to be announced for several more weeks.

The Government is expected to publish its public service reform plan on Thursday.

dayshah

jayboi wrote: »

If you read my posts correctly you might notice i never suggested getting rid of anything, I mearly stated that the government wont.

It makes no difference that it was in the independent or that an opposition member wrote it, it stated fact he didn't hypothesise that these people were appointed or their party and personal connections, if you bothered to actually take the time to stop and to understand what I'm saying is that FG and labour have and are not above making political appointments. As I'm also sure you are aware of the recent judges appointments and their connections.

But sure look the important thing to remember is you cant be wrong.:rolleyes:

You said they won't cut quangos because they are full of political appointees (which makes no sense as it was the last government did the vast majority of appointments). Then you say they won't cut quangos because they can potentially fill them with their own appointees, and then you present an opinion piece from an opposition TD as fact. Now your saying the government aren't above making political appointments. No sh!t Sherlock. :rolleyes:

You get the Pullitzer prize for your 4th attempt.

Finnbar01 wrote: »

I gave you an example of 4 departments where we could make cuts. I would go as far as saying getting rid of some of the governmental departments altogether.

And still a complete absence of specifics. You said the government should begin at the 'top' and cut the quangos, and yet you won't name a single quango you want to get rid of.

But now that you move away from quangos, which government department do you want to get rid of to save the money for WRH?

Finnbar01

dayshah wrote: »

And still a complete absence of specifics. You said the government should begin at the 'top' and cut the quangos, and yet you won't name a single quango you want to get rid of.

But now that you move away from quangos, which government department do you want to get rid of to save the money for WRH?

You clearly have a problem with your comprehension, aye?

I'll repeat again, lets rid of some governmental departments (quangos) for a start. In particular the four I've already mentioned.

dayshah

Finnbar01 wrote: »

You clearly have a problem with your comprehension, aye?

I'll repeat again, lets rid of some governmental departments (quangos) for a start. In particular the four I've already mentioned.

So to clarify the 'some' department are:

* Justice, Equality and Law Reform.
* Environment, Heritage and Local Government.
* Arts, Sport and Tourism.
* Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs.

Presumably you mean their current incarnations due to the name change?

Good specific proposals there. I'm mean, we need jobs not tourists, so we can get rid of tourism. And all Dept Justice does is deal with criminals, we can do away with that.

And still, you haven't named even a single quango you want rid of. Go on Finnbar, you've suggested the decimation of government in Ireland, I'm sure you can be brave enough to suggest at least one quango you want culled?

Finnbar01

dayshah wrote: »

So to clarify the 'some' department are:


Presumably you mean their current incarnations due to the name change?

Good specific proposals there. I'm mean, we need jobs not tourists, so we can get rid of tourism. And all Dept Justice does is deal with criminals, we can do away with that.

And still, you haven't named even a single quango you want rid of. Go on Finnbar, you've suggested the decimation of government in Ireland, I'm sure you can be brave enough to suggest at least one quango you want culled?

Let's get rid of the arts, sport and tourism department (or whatever it calls itself) and its associated quislings for a start.

Are you seriously trying to tell me that tourism would cease to exist because we don't have a quango to try and 'manage' it?

You're having a laugh.