24 hours in A&E

[99_oK?]

Writing was always on the wall for Nenagh hospital when they dropped the 24 hour emergency cover. It is a sad development but expect more of the same or similar, you could understand if Limerick & the emergency response units could cope but the truth is they cannot.

They still have emergency cover 24x7, but it's not 'open' 24x7. i.e. you can't walk in off the street, but if you need it they'll respond. Had to use it about 18 months ago and it was literally lifesaving for the person involved.

What they're proposing/doing now is that all cardiac services be removed. Even if you could get victims to Limerick or get Limerick to respond in time, my sad experience with the Regional is that they cannot cope and the staff are so demoralised that it's going further downhill. Remember they failed a recent audit, Nenagh did fine in same round of audits.

As you say Regional cannot cope currently, so it makes no sense whatsoever from a care pov. Thiis is about headline 'cutting numbers/cutting costs', but I'm just saddened that our elected representatives are not calling soon looking for votes. There are plenty of places where practices could be changed to save enormous amounts of cash, but that would deviate from the policy of large-scale centralisation and syndication /privatisation. Until the policy of using agencies and private firms (at up to 100% more), and of having a major bureaucratic cash swallower in the HSE that we simply do not need is reversed then the service will continue to contract and drop in standards as the resources to run it properly are cut and cut again.

We needed a major step and Reilly promised that; he is not delivering and is just tinkering with where the cuts go instead of making sweeping closures of unwanted sections of the HSE bureaucracy. It's not front-line cuts that are needed, but elimination of unnecessary layers of very costly bureacracy. That is not happening though, because the very people who are the source of the problematic and unnecessary spend are those in charge of the decision-making (i.e. they won't vote for Christmas, but it's easy to close a functional unit or not hire necessary nursing or technical staff).

[Viigand]

Croke Park means he can't touch 70 percent of his budget. That is the reason there are cuts in services.

[glorob]

Croke Park means he can't touch 70 percent of his budget. That is the reason there are cuts in services.

It looks like the HSE will have to find savings of between €700 million and €1 billion next year.

Not so long ago queues and waiting time in A & E were the cause of complaint around the country. Soon it will be the lack of A & E Services we will be complaining about.

[DONC]

Croke Park does indeed mean that his hands are tied. I am looking forward to when that pillock Kelly comes knocking on the door again looking for votes, he should remember he did not reach the quota last time around. Pretty much everyone I know who voted him #1 (sadly that includes me so who's a bigger pillock) said they are going to vote elsewhere next time. I think his goose may be cooked and the sooner he realises that the better.

That is not to advocate parish pump politics but this is wrong there is no alternative in place and sadly I agree with 99 people will die as a result - and as I live there it could be me or mine.

[99_oK?]

Croke Park does indeed mean that his hands are tied. I am looking forward to when that pillock Kelly comes knocking on the door again looking for votes, he should remember he did not reach the quota last time around. Pretty much everyone I know who voted him #1 (sadly that includes me so who's a bigger pillock) said they are going to vote elsewhere next time. I think his goose may be cooked and the sooner he realises that the better.

That is not to advocate parish pump politics but this is wrong there is no alternative in place and sadly I agree with 99 people will die as a result - and as I live there it could be me or mine.

I pretty much second all that, but I don't think CP is to blame for everything. e.g. using agencies is way more expensive for the services provided, and yes, there are a lot of agency contracts being used for HSE services. I am aware of one home-help/home care worker (locally) whose contract was terminated last year. She was advised to contact an agency, basically she ended up doing the same work (same clients) for slightly less money. From what she could gather the agency cost roughly twice what she is paid. So what's that about? Boss also works for a group with some HSE links; they have most front-line posts frozen, but are using some agency staff to fill in - at a greatly increased cost.

Didn't know you were near Nayna, but think you're right re. AK, but what else is there? BTW, have had personal experience (not life-threatening) of both in the one day. Had an ankle injury, was sent to Regional A&E, still not seen X-rayed after 5 hours (daytime). Phoned GP, he said go to Nayna, he'd phone for me. Hobbled in there at lunch-time, nobody on A&E bar porter, said wait a sec. Had X-ray done immediately (lady came off lunch), and was sorted within 1 hour, and they handled an emergency (cardiac) in the meantime. Brilliant staff. They just get on with it, despite meagre resources.

Not saying staff in regional aren't dedicated, but it just isn't coping with the load. I do worry, and hopefully it won't be a family member needing it when it's gone.

Time to get the stickers back on the car windows "Save Nayna Hosp..."