OUR LADY’S children’s hospital in Crumlin has reversed plans to close beds and an operating theatre over the summer months.
However, the hospital plans to restrict outpatient appointments except for emergencies for a total of three weeks between now and the New Year because of cutbacks in its budget.
In a statement issued last night, ahead of a planned visit by Oireachtas members today, the hospital relented on the planned summer closures.
Last month, the hospital closed 25 beds and one operating theatre, reduced outpatient appointments by 15 per cent and laid off temporary and agency staff because of a €9 million shortfall in its budget.
At the time, it also threatened to cut a further 20 beds and close a second theatre during July and August. The cutbacks were widely criticised.
Minister for Health Mary Harney last night confirmed the threatened ward and theatre closures would not be going ahead.
Speaking ahead of tonight’s debate on a Fine Gael private members’ motion condemning cutbacks at the hospital, Ms Harney’s spokesman said the ward and theatre closures mentioned in the motion would not be implemented following engagement between the Department of Health, the Health Service Executive (HSE) and the hospital’s management.
The motion, tabled by Fine Gael health spokesman James Reilly, said the hospital’s enforced €9 million cutbacks this year would lead to a reduction of out-patient appointments by 8,843 or 15 per cent, as well as 1,100 fewer admissions.
However, Ms Harney’s spokesman said yesterday: “The reductions will not be implemented. It’s clear that closures will not go ahead. This is without any extra funding.”
Asked how this could be achieved, the spokesman said the hospital’s cost-saving measures had allowed it to achieve a break-even position for the first quarter of 2009, thus making any theatre or ward closures unnecessary.
The Green Party signalled last night that it would be supporting the Government, notwithstanding the concerns expressed by its deputy leader Mary White about the cutbacks.
Ms White spoke to Ms Harney yesterday and said that her contribution to the debate would confront Dr Reilly’s call on her to vote against the Government.
Meanwhile, the Oireachtas Health Committee will visit the hospital today and meet its board of management.
The committee, chaired by Sean Ó Fearghail of Fianna Fáil, has arranged the visit ahead of a forthcoming appearance by HSE chief executive Prof Brendan Drumm before the committee to discuss the situation at the hospital.
“The committee has arranged this fact-finding trip to see at first hand the state of affairs at the hospital,” said a statement.
In its statement, Crumlin hospital said out-patient departments would be closed, apart from emergencies, from August 24th-28th, the Halloween bank holiday weekend from October 27th-30th and over Christmas, from December 23rd-January 4th.
With no change to the hospital’s funding allocation, the changes will mean longer waiting times for children for clinical assessment and for non-emergency surgery.
“All hospital staff will remain focused on attempting to minimise the impact on the children they serve,” the statement said. “Our Lady’s staff wish to reassure children and families that all emergencies will be cared for and it will do everything it can to protect the sickest patients.”
Earlier, a leading orthopaedic surgeon at the hospital warned that delays for spinal surgery at Our Lady’s hospital in Crumlin due to cutbacks made no economic sense and could lead to further deformities in children.
Dr Patrick Kiely said it was likely that fewer procedures would be carried out this year due to cutbacks. A total of 168 children and adolescents are currently awaiting surgery for scoliosis in Crumlin.
According to the latest data, children awaiting surgery at the hospital last year deteriorated by an average of 10 degrees while they were waiting for procedures to be performed.