'Concern' over cuts at Limerick hospital

THE IRISH Nurses and Midwives Organisation has expressed “great concern” over planned cuts at the midwest’s largest hospital.

The union held a meeting yesterday with HSE management of the Mid-Western Regional Hospital in Limerick, which faces cutbacks to services.

Ahead of the meeting, the organisation’s industrial organiser, Noel Treanor, said: “In the absence of a well thought-out defined strategy, the proposals will lead to a diminution of service at the hospital that is below what could be considered a baseline appropriate level of service.”

Yesterday’s meeting was to provide clarity to the organisation from the HSE on the measures it is taking to ensure the hospital comes in on budget this year.

The HSE confirmed that at the end of June, “the services in the midwest were €21 million in excess of the available budget and there are no options outside the midwest to source this money. There is a clear expectation that the services will manage within the available budget.”

The plan states that the cost-containment measures involve the closure of 25 beds at Limerick’s regional hospital.

Mr Treanor said morale among nursing staff was “desperate”.

“They are under terrible pressure and feeling burnt-out. If these cuts go ahead, it is only going to get worse.”

The latest HealthStat report on the hospital’s performance found that just under 20 per cent of patients were waiting between 12 and 24 hours to be admitted via the A&E department. The hospital scored an “amber” in the “‘red, amber and green” marking system.