FOURTEEN newly qualified nurses at Letterkenny General Hospital have lost their jobs, Donegal Daily can reveal.
The revelation has drawn sharp criticism from both the unions and politicians.
Charlie McConalogue claimed the Health Minister’s “complete failure” to manage the health budget and to prioritise patient care is having a direct impact in patients at Letterkenny General Hospital.
Deputy McConalogue has expressed alarm at news that the hospital is to lose 14 newly-qualified nurses from next Monday after the HSE confirmed it will not renew their contracts.
“These cuts are a direct impact of Minister James Reilly’s complete failure to manage the health budget and to prioritise resources where they are most needed. Because of the mess he made over the health budget and the fact that he ignored warnings from the highest level of the health service, Minister Reilly is now bulldozing through our frontline health services and putting patients in Donegal at risk.
“What we are seeing at Letterkenny Hospital is proof of why Róisín Shortall felt compelled to resign her position as Minister for Primary Care. Patients in Donegal are suffering because of James Reilly’s actions, and it is clear that we need an immediate change at the top of the Department of Health before more damage is done.
“Once again I am calling for James Reilly’s resignation as Minister for Health. My fear is that the frontline staff losses we are seeing at Letterkenny Hospital are just the tip of the iceberg, unless we have a Health Minister who is willing to take control of the health budget and act in the best interests of patients in Donegal and the rest of the country.”
The INMO says that the plans, which are due to come into effect next Monday, would see a reduction of theatre activity and day surgery by five sessions each a week.
They would include a reduction of two endoscopy sessions a week, the closure of eight surgical beds on the orthopaedic ward and the cessation of minor surgery in the community outreach clinic.
It would also mean the closure of the short-stay/overflow ward.
The union claims that the reduction in services is a direct consequence of contracts for 14 newly-qualified nurses not being renewed.
It says it will result in increased waiting lists, more patients on trolleys and longer periods on trolleys for patients in the hospital’s emergency department.
The INMO says the proposals may also lead to the cancellation of clinics and significantly reduce the presence of nursing professionals in outpatient clinics.
INMO Industrial Relations Officer Regina Durcan called on Minister for Health James Reilly to prevent the loss of frontline posts in order to maintain adequate services to the people of Letterkenny and its environs.
She said the union will be referring the issue to the Labour Relations Commission.
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