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Clontarf Hospital lost 26% of its staff in just two years

Clontarf Hospital lost 41 staff between 2016 and 2017.

1 Clontarf Hospital Google Maps Google Maps

A HOSPITAL ON Dublin’s northside has seen a quarter of its staff leave in just two years.

Clontarf Hospital, a voluntary orthopaedic ‘step down’ institution, has seen some 41 of an estimated 160 staff exit between 2016 and 2017.

The hospital has also been subject to a number of industrial relations disputes at both the Workplace Relations Commission and Labour Court in recent times.

At least one former senior member of staff is also involved in a litigation with the hospital in the High Court at present.

It’s believed that a large number of the staff leaving were employees with long service at working at senior management level. It’s also understood that the staff who have left have been replaced.

Clontarf is part-funded by the HSE, but is not operated on a day-to-day basis by the executive.

Rehabilitation

Primarily an orthopaedic hospital, it offers ‘step-down’ services (eg convalescence from surgical procedures and rehabilitation) from nearby Beaumont Hospital and the Mater Hospital, together with Cappagh National Orthopaedic Hospital. It also operates a non-urgent x-ray department.

In recent years, the hospital has also served as a rehab facility for elderly patients.

In 2013, the hospital saw two staff leave its employment. In 2014, the figure was five. That jumped to 14 in 2015, 16 in 2016, and 25 in 2017, a nigh-on 13-fold jump in just four years.

The hospital detailed its levels of staff attrition (ie the numbers of people leaving employment) in a written response to a parliamentary question from Sinn Féin TD Peadar Tóibín.

A relatively broad interpretation of staff-patient ratios was detailed in reply to that question, ie no split by specific medical discipline was detailed. It’s unclear if these ratios also include non-medical staff, eg porters, clerical staff.

As at end 2017, per those figures, the ratio is 1:1.41 which equates to about 105 staff for 148 patient beds.

By contrast, in 2013 the figure was 1:1.27, or roughly 101 staff for 128 patient beds.

The overall number of staff at the hospital is understood to be in the region of 160.

shutterstock_1013707720 Shutterstock Shutterstock

“It’s clear that bed-numbers-per-staff-member have significantly increased between 2013 and 2017. This has to have materially increased the workload of staff,” said Tóibín of the situation at the hospital.

“If the radical increase in staff exiting the hospital has not lead to the HSE and the Minister engaging in closer scrutiny of the staff arrangements at the hospital there is a serious difficulty,” he said, adding that it “isn’t possible” to see how such increased attrition “would reflect normal operation”.

It’s believed that in recent times senior staff have raised the perceived issue of staff-patient ratios with management at the hospital, particularly with regard to the care of vulnerable elderly patients.

‘Satisfied’

One such situation ended up at the Workplace Relations Commission after a senior clinical nursing manager was transferred from their ward after raising concerns over a perceived lack of adequate resources and procedures being in place in order to deal with the medical needs of the elderly patients that had recently come under that ward’s remit.

That manager, who took the case in protest at their transfer and who no longer works at the hospital, received a cash award from the WRC in compensation for their experience. The award was subsequently reduced in size by the Labour Court.

The manager was not restored to their previous ward, nor was an apology delivered.

“CHO (Community Healthcare Organisation) Dublin North City and County has regular performance meetings with management from Clontarf Hospital and is satisfied that there are sufficient staff employed to provide safe care,” the HSE said in response to Tóibín’s parliamentary question.

A number of positions at the hospital are currently being advertised on job sites, including openings for staff nurses, an assistant director of nursing, bed manager, and clinical practice support nurse.

The hospital currently has in the region of 160 beds, with overall staffing levels understood to be on a similar level.

TheJournal.ie submitted a detailed request for comment to the hospital regarding staff levels at Clontarf, and querying why the rate of staff attrition has increased to such an extent in such a short period of time.

Questions were also put to the institution regarding staff-patient ratios as they currently stand, with particular emphasis placed on the breakdown by individual medical discipline, eg doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, and occupational therapists.

A response had not been received at the time of publication.

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    Mute Tricksy
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    Jul 13th 2018, 1:41 AM

    Lack of governance , no leadership . Country going down the man hole , only interested in what the beurocrats of Europe want implemented . We are led by others , we are YES men .

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    Mute Paddy
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    Jul 13th 2018, 2:32 AM

    @Tricksy: no we are not

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    Mute Deborah Behan
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    Jul 13th 2018, 7:49 AM

    @Tricksy: wow you’re blaming the EU!!! I blame Fine Gael who are ACTUALLY running the country.

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    Mute Gus Sheridan
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    Jul 13th 2018, 8:05 AM

    @Paddy: oh YES we are, baaaaaaaa sheepies

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    Mute Gus Sheridan
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    Jul 13th 2018, 8:06 AM

    @Deborah Behan: the EU run the country, FG and the other rats just sit on their gravy train…

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    Mute Seán Domhnall O'Sullivan
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    Jul 13th 2018, 12:32 PM

    @Deborah Behan: fine Gael are just centre right Catholic puppets of the EU, much like the CDU in Germany and so on.

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    Mute Frank Cauldhame
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    Jul 13th 2018, 1:31 PM

    @Deborah Behan: I agree wholeheartedly except you should have added an extra ‘i’ to ‘running’ the country ;-)

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    Mute Rory
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    Jul 13th 2018, 6:55 PM

    @Tricksy: live in real world. People have choice.

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    Mute shits ville
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    Jul 13th 2018, 12:49 AM

    #clickbaitwarning
    “It’s believed that a large number of the staff leaving were employees with long service at working at senior management level. It’s also understood that the staff who have left have been replaced.”

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    Mute Deborah Behan
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    Jul 13th 2018, 7:51 AM

    @shits ville: Beaumont Hospital has also a large turnover of staff especially senior staff.

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    Mute shits ville
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    Jul 13th 2018, 8:56 AM

    @Deborah Behan: It’s believed that a large number of the staff leaving were employees with long service working at senior management level – sounds like they retired and were replaced. This is not news.

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    Mute David Burns
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    Jul 13th 2018, 12:38 AM

    I guess 26% in 2 years is pretty high. But compared to other sectors I’d say it’s standard these days. Job for life doesn’t seem to apply anymore. Nothing compared to other sectors. Hope the well being of both patients and staff have been respected.

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    Mute Boyne Sharky
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    Jul 13th 2018, 11:23 AM

    @David Burns: What this essentially says is that several management level staff in what is basically a private, rehabilitation care facility have left recently. Terrible. Take a look at the Beaumont, the Mater, Tallaght or pretty much any major hospital in the country and examine the reasons for staff turnover there and the attrition levels across all disiplines. Why are these not being raised in the Dáil, why is nobody raising issues regarding the levels of allied health professionals in our hospitals?

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    Mute Kevin Slater
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    Jul 13th 2018, 8:31 AM

    But the staff were replaced. How is this news? If more staff moved around you wouldn’t have cliques of ancient care assistants running places like Aras Attracta with no supervision.

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    Mute David Burns
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    Jul 13th 2018, 12:43 AM

    Out of curiosity what is a typical staff to patient ratio? Is it in line with this hospital?

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    Mute Walt Jabsco
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    Jul 13th 2018, 12:50 AM

    @David Burns:
    It varies widely depending on the level of care required/provided. Not sure what it would be for a step-down hospital like this.

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    Mute Steven Fitzpatrick
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    Jul 13th 2018, 8:27 AM

    Another private entity leeching off public funds. Who are the board members, what are the relationships with government officials?

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    Mute Steve McMahon
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    Jul 13th 2018, 6:52 AM

    Where.. must be a fairly big place if they can’t seem to find where their staff are

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    Mute Michael Ahern
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    Jul 13th 2018, 8:11 AM

    I think I saw them in the woods in St Annes Park. They’ll be found soon.

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    Mute Annette McGuckin
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    Jul 13th 2018, 8:27 AM

    Is Clontarf Hospital regulated or licensed by HIQA?

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    Mute Steve McMahon
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    Jul 13th 2018, 6:50 AM

    Where

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