NEARLY 200 hospital workers and members of the public braved the wind and rain yesterday to protest against recent cutbacks at Letterkenny General Hospital.
The Irish Nurses Organisation (INO), Siptu and Impact health unions staged a joint lunchtime protest at the hospital gates in response to the recent closure of two wards and other services under threat.
"They say cutback, we say fight back" was the over-riding message of the protest which attracted representatives from local health pressure groups, community groups and Opposition parties.
Richie Carruthers of Impact said the protest was organised to galvanise people and politicians into action.
"The situation is critical because we've already been told there's going to be less money available in 2009 and we've seen cuts to date. So really this is the thin end of the wedge and we're going to see more frontline services to be cut."
Mr Carruthers added that the joint action by the three unions was significant.
"Normally we would have our own mutual sectoral interests, but clearly it is out of necessity that our own individual union issues need to be put aside because saving frontline jobs and core services is in our collective interest."
Mary Caldwell, an INO representative who is a nurse in the hospital's admission and discharge department, said theatre cutbacks had caused waiting lists to soar.
"I see clearly what the cutbacks in the reduced theatre services have had on the volume of patients coming into the hospital now for elective theatre, which will really impact on waiting lists and times in the future."
She added: "It doesn't make sense that the HSE are willing to pay for the NTPF [National Treatment Purchase Fund scheme] but they're not willing to provide cover for staffing in hospital to allow theatre activity to return to normal."
Local Siptu representative Martin O'Rourke said the joint union protest reflected the seriousness of the situation.
"Coming into winter, the demand for hospital services is going to be a lot bigger and the resources just won't be there. People are going to end up on trolleys again."
A 12-bed orthopaedic unit in the hospital was closed by the HSE last month following the closure of a 20-bed short-stay ward in August. The HSE says further cost-control measures may be extended and some further measures introduced if activity levels at the hospital continue to surpass the allocated budget.
Fine Gael TD for Donegal South West Dinny McGinley said the situation was "absolutely unacceptable". "As usual, these cutbacks are attacking the frontline services and it's true that the old and the sick are going to suffer once more while the people who brought about the economic crisis seem to be getting away scot-free."