SECURITY IS to be extended at two hospitals in the mid-west where controversial plans to centralise accident and emergency services are due to come into effect from next week.
The Health Service Executive (HSE) is due to transfer round-the-clock AE services from Ennis and Nenagh general hospitals to the Midwestern Regional Hospital in Limerick from Monday.
However, unions claim the move will result in serious health and safety issues for both patients and staff, and employees in Limerick have said they will not co-operate with any changes to their work practices.
The HSE has written to the Labour Relations Commission to hold talks over the weekend to deal with what it described as outstanding issues. Speaking at the launch of his European election campaign in Limerick yesterday, Labour Senator Alan Kelly said there was a complete lack of clarity on what would happen on Monday. Mr Kelly claimed security guards at Nenagh hospital have been given the job of informing patients who arrive at the north Tipperary hospital where they must go.
“Security guards in Nenagh hospital have been given a week’s overtime so they can tell people where to go . . . This is absolutely crazy. I know the security guards in Nenagh and they are fine people but the idea the whole public health service is dependent on whether security guards tell people where to go is crazy,” he said. “The whole process and the way in which the HSE has dealt with it is disgraceful and, if they plough through with this on Monday, then I can guarantee patient safety is seriously going to be at risk.”
Mr Kelly, who is public relations officer of the Nenagh Hospital Action Group described the HSE’s plans to centralise AE services in the mid-west as “medically insane” and said the HSE had not engaged with local doctors. “More than 80 doctors in the mid-west have signed a petition to say that this is insane. They are livid with the HSE. There has been no engagement with them and they are expected to pick up the slack from the public health service. It’s a disgrace,” he said.
In a statement issued yesterday, the HSE confirmed security services would be extended at Nenagh and Ennis hospitals from Monday.