- Union leaders turning a blind eye to health cuts
- HSE plans will cause Limerick's Regional Hospital to fail
- Union members and health workers should campaign to make the leaders fight to defend their members and patients
The Limerick branch of the Campaign for a Real Public Health Service has expressed its disappointment with the agreement of the INO and SIPTU health branch with the HSE to not oppose the closure of Ennis and Nenagh casualty and acute surgery departments.
Local spokesperson for the CRPHS, Cian Prendiville, said the decision was a "mistake", accusing the union leaders of "turning a blind eye" to health cuts, and encouraged health workers to "pressurise their union 'leaders' to reverse this decision, and launch a campaign in defence of their members, patients and the health service more generally."
Why we oppose the HSE plan
"The planned gutting of Ennis and Nenagh hospitals is an attack on our health service, its dedicated workforce and its vulnerable patients. It is about saving money, not lives and will result in even worse overcrowding at Limerick's Regional, pushing it and its hard working staff further towards breaking point."
According to figures released by Dr. Christine O'Malley, a consultant in Nenagh Hospital, a total of 9,500 extra A&E patients every year will have to be accommodated in the Limerick Hospital at night time, starting from Monday (April 6th), with phase one of the HSE's reconfiguration plan. The CRPHS argues that the worst is yet to come, when from July on the A&E's in Ennis and Nenagh will be shut around the clock, being replaced with 'nurse-led minor injury units', and all acute surgery will be transferred to Limerick.
Mr. Prendiville said "This will amount to tens of thousands more joining the queues in A&E and for surgery. Already Limerick's Regional Hospital as a deficit of over 18,000 surgical bed days, according to the document the HSE presented to the unions [50 surgical beds a day]. How can the unions leaders sign off on plans that will see even more pressure put on this hospital?"
Union leaders 'turning a blind eye' to health cuts
"Only a few weeks ago the INO condemned the HSE's refusal to provide any new beds for the hospital to deal with this new workload - now the union leaders are agreeing to zip up and say nothing about this? Last Thursday their members voted for a ballot for industrial action against these plans - what mandate do the union leaders have for this retreat? How does this sit with their "Stop health cuts" campaign?"
The CRPHS, which involves a number of health service workers, and members of the INO, Siptu and Impact, has vowed to keep up its opposition to these plans, and offered its support to health workers who also want to fight the plans.
"We will work with all those health workers who are disgusted by these plans, and the union's silence on them. We need to build strong and fighting health unions, together with community campaigns, patient groups and concerned individuals, working together to defeat this government's insane health policy."
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