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WATERFORD REGIONAL HOSPITAL (WRH) faces a possible downgrade to county hospital status following proposals outlined this week.
The major acute hospital currently serves the people of Waterford city and the wider South East region. However, suggestions outlined during meeting on Thursday could see the hospital’s structure broken up and aligned with Cork University Hospital.
Speaking after the meeting, Fianna Fáil Waterford City Councillor Gary Wyse said the proposed changes would threaten all the hospitals in the South East – including Kilkenny, Dungarvan and Wexford – and have “a direct and adverse effect on 500,000 people in the region”.
Wyse suggested that as many as 1,000 jobs could be a risk if the proposals go ahead. He added that – as WRH is also one of eight specialist cancer centres in the country – cutting the crucial services offered there would also “put lives in danger”.
The critical time-frame for dealing with a heart-attack victim is 90 minutes and, Wyse pointed out, if a person was “unlucky enough” to suffer a heart attack in New Ross, it would take two hours before to reach Cork University Hospital under the proposed new system – while WRH is just 25 minutes away.
‘The slow death of the regional hospital’
Sinne Féin Senator David Cullinane – a member of the new South East Hospital Action Group made up of hospital consultants, business leaders, trade unionists and a number of councillors – described the proposals as “a disaster for Waterford and the South East”.
Cullinane, who has been voicing opposition on the issue for some time, said the proposed plans would bring about the slow death of the regional hospital and the delivery of core regional services:
Waterford Regional Hospital provides clear regional services in areas such as Orthopaedic Elective serivces, Oncology services, Vascular Surgery, Dermatology and Neurology services among others.
The breakup of the existing network, the alignment of WRH with Cork and Wexford and Kilkenny with hospitals in Dublin will weaken the status of our regional hospital. It will reduce the critical mass and population base necessary to justify and deliver core regional services.
He added: “We need to do everything within our power locally to challenge these recommendations and to set out a positive, credible and genuine alternative.”
Waterford TD John Halligan posted a message on his Facebook page today, urging the people of the South East to “put their considerable energies into a campaign that will send a clear message to our Government TDs that we will not tolerate any downgrading of our Regional Hospital”.
He added that he will be WLR’s Deise AM after 10am on Tuesday to voice his views on the proposals and would welcome input from listeners.
A protest march against the proposals will take place in Waterford city on Saturday 10 November (midday – 2pm), beginning at midday at Ballybricken and ending in John Roberts’ Square.
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Government do everything to screw our Great city up don’t they.
It’s not just about Waterford, it’s not just your hospital – it’s there for the benefit of the whole region and any plan to further comprise the healthcare of the people of the South East should be resisted most vigorously. But please don’t get that message confused by resorting to paranoid parochialism
I thought the headline said the Consultants at the hospital made the proposal ? How did that become a decision of the Government. I think you suffer from “displaced paranoia” !
It’s not the gov that has destroyed waterfords reputation it the unions
It’s widely accepted by anyone who ever invested in a business that the the militant left in the eighties and nineties made the city a no go area for risk takers
@Garry, where does this say that this was a consultant proposal?
Waterfords a dreadful place, that has been sucking resources from its periphery for years.
It’s not end a natural centre, bounded by sea and serves only 108,000 people.
Better off linking Waterford with the CUH as the head in a super region.
The comment from the TD about a heart attack in New Ross having to go to Cork is a deliberate attempt to mislead. Heart attacks would still go to Waterford. She’s talking out of her arse to scare people.
However super specialised tertiary referral stuff is better off in the more natural centre of Cork. Waterford is getting too much money and resources for its size.
How dare that Fianna Fáil councillor pontificate about cuts. The very cuts his shambles of a party have made inevitable in the wake of the economic Armageddon his party brought down on this country. The bare faced cheek.
@Jumpthecat
Are you serious? Super region? What utter bullsh*t.
Waterford doesn’t “serve only 108,000″ people, no, there are 113,000+ people in Waterford city & county according to the last census.
The hospital there, however, serves over 500,000 people.
If you’re having a heart attack, you have about an hour and a half to have cardio intervention like an angioplasty before your chances of survival diminish substantially from 90% to 0% after each successive minute. That being said, even with 90 minutes to spare the chances of a full recovery without permanent brain damage are reduced significantly every single minute that your brain isn’t getting oxygen because your heart ain’t working – so promptness is absolutely vital. Therefore, it’s not scaremongering, or “talking through their arse” when people talk about the difference in a trip to hospital of 20 minutes compared to 60-90 minutes for heart attacks, as is the difference for someone travelling from New Ross to WRH or New Ross to CUH. It’s a very, very real threat to peoples lives.
Also, do you think there are dozens and dozens of spare nurses floating around CUH with nothing to do; doctors and consultants who are roaming the halls with no patients to attend to; many wards and theatres lying empty and unused, clinic space that no one currently needs, offices of all shapes and sizes with nobody in them and so on? No? I assure you there isn’t. Like every other hospital in this country CUH is already squeezed as tight as the can be, but that’s what will be needed to accommodate and cater for and serve the extra 200,000 or so people who would have to travel from the Sth Tipp/Waterford region. Where’s the funding for it coming from?
Maybe this “super region” is self-funding or it’s filled with magical super-people that sh*t money? Or, maybe, we could leave the services and infrastructure already in place in WRH? Which of those seems more reasonable, logical?
Waterford Regional’s performance is excellent considering the numbers in it’s catchment, procedures done each year etc., etc. It’s under-funded and under-resourced yet year-on-year it out-performs other hospitals of a similar size.
Finally, the statement “Waterford is getting to much money and resources for it’s size” leads me to believe that you are from some far away place, definitely not of this region, or you have been asleep/hibernating for a decade or so.
Guess how many Waterford City or County TDs attended the meeting?
Zero – of any hue.
Is it any wonder Waterford is an employment and investment black spot with representatives like these?
The three government TD’s seem to have more of an interest in the West of the County and to those constituents Cork is nearly equi-distant. John Haligan has used the sick excuse a few too many times now. I am sympathetic if he does have a condidtion which is disabling him however he looked fine to me in Waterford on Thursday afternoon and someone below saw him apparently fine again on Friday. Facebook messages are not enough.
Their is no way this can happen i live between New Ross and Waterford and have had to use the ambulance service to get my baby to W.R.H if we were to have to go to Cork she would be dead as we were only in W.R.H 5 mins when she went into cardiac arrest so i know how important it is to keep our hospital status lives will be lost otherwise
Christina – thank the Fianna Fail voters who inflicted this upon our society.
Who said anything about the hospital closing Christina?
Eh Una, FG and Labour are in now NOT FF so its the 3 of them who are responsible for this mess. Stop canvassing on the sly for FG Labour please.
can you tell me where once in my post did i mention the hospital closing look at it again and you might understand it this time
Wexford hospital would be closer than Cork…
to the PEOPLE OF WATERFORD do not give up fightFigt for your right to have adecent medical cover in your county. I Roscommon we got 2 wees notice of the closure of our A+E and it is costing more to keep it closed than to keep it open and Remember our A+E was closed on LIES…..
KEEP U THE FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHTS
There are already hundreds from the S.East waiting 2-3 and 4 yrs for operations in Waterford Hosp. Downgrade and they will be forgotten about completely.
Or early elections with a new government from the left with true change.
If anyone in Waterford votes for a Fine Gael or Labour TD ever again, they should hang their heads in shame. Waterford is now the forgotten city, soon to be relegated to town in every imaginable way.
Shame on every single Waterford TD who failed to turn up to this.
John halligan wasn’t even at the meeting, sick note, managed to make it to the rsc for a football match though
I saw John in the Hyper the very next day. He apparently wasn’t too sick for that.
Sean, No sane-minded person would re-elect Fianna Fail. I mistakenly voted for FG / LAB but I will be voting for Sinn Fein next time.
Yes, Sean. Because it was Labour & Fine Gael that bankrupted the country, wasn’t it? Oh wait, no. Not so much. Save your venom on the perpetrators not those trying to clean up their mess.
Yes actually Vincent, Fine Gael and Labour are continuing the policies of Fianna Fáil and crippling the state with debt. It is Fine Gael and Labour who are inflicting serious cuts to critical services. Stop trying to shift the blame, and take responsibility for your actions.
Yea….bring back Martin Cullen!
#Sean- firstly, I don’t sit in the cabinet room. Secondly, I think you’ll find the present Government is pursuing the same strategy as every other EU nation in our position. The reason we’re in that position is very definitely a consequence of the previous Government. It was on the news. I surprised you didn’t see it. I’m sorry if this doesn’t fit in with your insightful “it’s always the Governments fault” political analysis. Patently you adhere to the fantasist school of thought that sees our national debt being spirited away by magical debt fairies with the stroke of a pen with no repercussions. Sadly, the road to recovery will require sacrifices and pain rather than wishful thinking, irrespective of how alluring it is.
Jesus UBS you’ve gone from bad to worse.
Jesus una you’ve gone from bad to worse doing that.
Another great idea from our incredibly fantastic government . They just do not have a clue . Of course people do not matter , just money and big business.
Perhaps if you paid your taxes we wouldn’t need as much cutbacks?
Conor
Ha Ha ! Go away .,
@conor: minister Reilly will have a nice steak dinner from your tax, and the hospital will probably still be downgraded.
Great point Conor. Sadly Eileen is pretty shameless, though. And oblivious to the hypocrisy in commenting on services when she’s not paying her share.
@vincent Dolan: re Eileen gabbet. Vincent since when did it cost money to cut services?
Vincent ”Dillon Costigan ” Dolan
You ‘re a fine one to be talking , shur you are not even you , with your false names.
#Ian- who said it does?
#Eileen- testy tonight aren’t we? You really don’t like being called out on being a tax dodger, do you? It’s funny how spongers are always, always the most vocal. Waterford Hospital- this is what happens when people like you don’t pay your way.
@vincent Dolan: Vincent every opportunity you get you say something about E.G . not paying her household tax why would she pay it to have services cut ? Ministers are giving themselves a nice little pay rise Vincent where do you think the money is coming from to fund that? YOUR household tax and enda will send you a nice little thank you note!!!
Ian
Just ignore him .
Vincent” Dillon Costigan” Dolan I am not a tax dodger . Far from it . How would like to be called a cheat because you use several names ! I am in no humor for your childish behavior.
#Ian. This country is bankrupt. Not only that, it’s haemorrhaging money. We’re running an enormous deficit. We need to cut costs and increase income. Let there be no doubt. Services are going to be cut back enormously. The people are going to have to pay more for the services that remain. This is economic fact. Every time someone like Eileen doesn’t pay her charges, the rest of us have to pay a little bit more. You can blame whoever you like for us being where we are but the economic situation is what it is and we may all get used to cuts and taxes.
#Eileen- I could care less what humour you’re in. You seem to be skirting around the issue at hand-Waterford Hospital & the reduction in services : how are our services going to be paid for when we’re in huge debt and people like you are tax evading?
@vincent Dolan: I agree with you Vincent but can you please put as much effort into letting enda and co know this as you do into constantly berating Eileen about her tax, the money that is wasted in this country is nothing short of a scandal.
#Ian..who knows- maybe the one positive that we will take from this whole debacle will be a more efficient public sector. Hope springs eternal.
yes Eileen When we pay our taxes out of our income every wage packet gets smaller and smaller but the Politicians get bigger salaries and expenses we get A+E closures service cut to near non existence Then they come along and decide that even though we got off our B.Ss and bought our OWN home we will now have to pay a rent on these homes. We also pay PRSI, USC’s and Income tax and even levies and we are being told we Have not paid our taxes by a few clowns If This Government were doing their job that they are supposed to be doing for the People that elected them WHY then are there so many still on the dole and WHY are their so many Protests taking place in Ireland since this shower took office under false pretenses and why does Enda Kenny Phil Hogan James Reilly never meet the People whom they lied to made promises too and broke Kenny never never gives an interview to explain why he has stabbed the people of Ireland in the back in Favour of Ms Angela Merkel They also forget We are here for the long Haul but they will not last the full term in their office
Vincent
I know you don’t care. But I do care . I care that there are children who have to emigrate to get a job. I care that there are elderly people who do not get the care they deserve and paid for all their lives, I care that there are no jobs for men and women with families whop up to a short few years ago had well paid jobs and could support them selves and I care that those same people are suffering food poverty now and whose children are going hungry. I care that there are people on hospital waiting lists to see a doctor and then transferred to another waiting list to be looked after months and months later. I am sick to the back teeth of this government with their arrogance and their lies and their smug put downs AND I am sick of nobodies using false names on sites like this one and or twitter telling me that I am to blame because I have not nor will I not pay a €100 euro charge on my home that I worked blood sweat and tears to have to put a roof over my family’s head . This €100 charge is a registration fee so that your name address and details will go on a list ,and next year they will charge you anything from €500 plus on a household tax. I really really think you and those like you should examine your consciences and ask yourself who it is that will really gain from you paying €100 . Yes whatever your name is Vincent , I am thoroughly pi**ed off with the way we are being treated ,and I wish I could be more effective in my beliefs than refusing to obey and not pay this charge.I do and I always have paid my taxes as a PAYE worker I had little choice . This was my one way of registering my DISGUST at this pathetic excuse for a government ,or dare I say a dictatorship , with minions like you to do his dirty work and bully people who are under severe pressure as it is . Now PLEASE think about what you are oing before you continue criticising me and people like me. Have a good evening.
#Bernadette…Red C would suggest your wrong.
#Eileen: same old rubbish from you. All you can do is list the problems. They’re not in dispute. You have no solutions to offer. Talk all you want about jobs, services, emigration etc. This Government inherited them all. And your tax evasion makes them worse.
Well said Bernadette
Vincent here is just one of this characters names , he also uses the handle Dillon Costigan .
This is the BS that the decent good people of Ireland are up against and the Bueshirt Tyranny .
Vincent or whatever your name really is ,
I have offered solutions but you are not a real character on this site , by your own admittance .I may as well be talking to the cat !
#Eileen: how pompous of you to presume to talk for the people of Ireland. 1). Most of the people of Ireland are tax dodgers and 2). Last time I checked this Government was elected by the people. And would be again if last weeks Red C poll is anything to go by. Seems you’re not as in tune with the people as you would seem to think.
#correction- most people are NOT tax dodgers. Unlike Eileen.
#Eileen- typical answer from you. All mouth, no brain.
I elected this government with my vote last year and I am so cross with myself . I will never vote for them /labour / FFailures /Greens again . So YES I am entitled to speak , 1) I am using my own name and 2) I DO NOT TELL LIES .
#Eileen, no you just talk crap and embarrass yourself. I’m sure this Government will survive without your vote. You’re better suited to the SF camp anyway. Your natural home I would say.
@Vincent Dolan ??? If that is your name
Red C poll ha ha ha
I know the figures for unemployment
I know the figures for immigration
I know the real feelings towards this failed Government
I do not need the red c poll to tell me
And I also know the Lies that this Government are spouting
So Vincent wake up smell the coffee and stop and think for one moment and tell yourself the truth for once This government are failing you and lying to you and are destroying your country
And when you realise how they have hurt you we will be here for you cos we are all Irish and we all want the best for our families and future generations just like our brave forefathers before us
#Bernadette- I see your another who thinks they know what the nation is thinking. It’s hard to understand how it is that Enda Kenny is Taoiseach and not you guys?!? Electoral fraud, it must be. Rigged election perhaps. List all the unemployment etc figures you like. This Government inherited them. Like all Governments this one will be judged on one criteria: Is the country better off 5 years after it came to power than it was the day it assumed office. Already we are. Though there’s much more to do. I know that upsets Shinners, but they’ll have to live with it.
@ Vincent Dolan and I see that you assume to much . I se you mentioned about “The Shinners” and i assume you mean Sinn Fein member or followers Lol Lol LOL well I am not affiliated to any political party now will I ever be But I love my country and always will and I respect what my forefathers went through to allow me and my family to have free speech, to have a vote and to have a say in what happens to my Country. But you Vincent has shown your true colours of the “BLUE SHIRTS here which is do as you say or shut up” Well I have a vote and I have a Voice and I will always speak my mind on issues that affect me and mine and thankfully UNLIKE YOU Vincent all I say are in my own words and views and not views set out by a political Party. and as i said earlier when you realise that you have been brain washed by your Party it is ok to admit how hurt you are by them and yea we will be here to help you on your way because we are all Irish and want the bes for our Families as our forefathers did too
Eileen, I proved that you do tell lies about 3 weeks ago…fact
Eileen,regarding your comment about not telling lies… It was proven on the journal previously that you do tell lies…fact.
#Mick- do tell.
Mick Vincent ?
A difference of opinion is NOT telling LIES . Enda Kenny and his Cabinet tell lies and continue to do so . Ask Roscommon . James Reilly is a Liar too . Veradkar is a Liar , ( Not another cent ) ….. Go away with yourselves and Vincent / Dillon / Mick …… Who ever you are …Pathetic ,It says a lot about a person when they continue to intimidate and bully a conversation.
#Eileen- even a cursory review of your posts shows you’re the aggressive one. There’s no one else doing any bullying here. If you can’t handle a heated defence of those you attack, maybe you shouldn’t dole out quite so much venom?
Do you know what Vincent Mick Dillon ,Who ever you are ….
Your opinion does not matter because you are as dishonest a person as I have ever encountered
(and that is saying something) .Your multiple identities are a cause for concern to decent people like myself.
By decent you mean a tax dodger? No idea who Mick is, by the way.
Yet another kick in the teeth for the South East .
How much more are the Irish going to take from these hapless and uncaring leeches.
once again waterfords citizens are left out in the cold.
is my life worth less than those in cork?
Yes! that’s what it seems to be according to this government.
We are holding a meeting on Tuesday evening 7pm in the Mount Sion Club in Waterford to discuss what to do and how to move forward as a city.
We have organised a protest march for next Saturday in conjunction with several other groups. In one day we have mobilised the people of waterford into getting active and doing something about this! We have a facebook page under SaveWaterford, and the protest is linked above. We the people of Waterford need to finally get together and sort this out between ourselves without any politics, unions or the Government. Although they are welcome, but just as ordinary citizens just like us! http://www.facebook.com/SaveWaterford
Govt: “If its not in Dublin, we don’t need it”
When they take away your services they will give you First Responders, extra ambulances, extra clinics, extra Advanced Paramedics and barrow loads of promises and statements about ‘patient safety’ but after some time all these will disappear because of ‘austerity measures’ and you will have patients dying in ambulances trying to reach a distant hospital but will never be able to prove that they could have survived had the services still been in Waterford. Then people go back to sitting on bar stools or fireside chairs complaining but do nothing. That is the Monaghan experience and we tried to tell the people of Ireland that it would come to their doors soon but no one listened.
For how long more should we put up with this
Another cost cutting measure is that patients will be required to bring their own trolleys to hang about on while they’re waiting to die.
This is insane, they’ve been closing wards and theaters in tipp, Kilkenny and Wexford for years add to that Carlow they are all intended too feed into WRH. now they talk about downgrading that? Where is the sense here, it makes sense to have WRH as a regional center in the south east supporting the other hospitals (i’m not from Waterford) . if this happens weather suggested by government or not its parocial villag!t politics at its worst target a region/county without any political clout to resist. Sickens me.
Waterford is not a natural centre.
It’s not performing as a proper centre despite huge funding.
Wexford, Kilkenny etc are better aligned with university hospitals just up the road in Dublin.
Waterford (which has a catchment of only 106,000) needs to fall in with a southern CUH alignment).
This makes sense.
jumpthecat I’m sorry man but you seem to be in a dreamworld neither Wexford or Kilkenny are teaching hospitals nit only that but half of operation in both st likes , Wexford and tools operations have been shut down with the promise that Waterford would care for all the regions needs with ‘world class’ facilities. This is not about county pride bollox its about what Is best for a region and the healthcare (which we all pay hansomely for) of its people
And also 106,000 would be the catchment for Waterford as a county, as a regional hospital its catchment is above 500,000. logistically its idiotic to be sending the entire southeast region to CUH , regardless of the pressure that cuh is already under dealing with the south West, but the fact there is no reasonable transport link from the SE to the SW. there is no reasonable person would think this is a good idea…
I’m not big into politics or going marching but as a resident of waterford all my life I think it’s time get me and the family out next Saturday and let our voices be heard. I would also like ask any one from Waterford south tipp Wexford Carlow and Kilkenny if there free next saturday to come to Waterford for the march and let them muppets in power know that we’re not going to accept this. Roll on the next elections cause these fools are gone
Exactly hope there is a big turn out in waterford! I imagen the four TDs will try get in on the publicity of it! Lost all.. If i had an respect for the TDs with the exception of john halligan who is at least vocal! The others i only see on lamp posts every election!
It is now official. The government have completely lost it
Always when there is a story about Waterford on here the comments section gives us a hard time, why? This union business that people like to throw in our faces happened in the 80′s… a long time ago. (Off topic, but the unions stood up for themselves, isn’t that what everyone is saying the country should be doing now?)
It would be a bad move for the South East, not just Waterford, if the hospital was downgraded. That’s so obvious, it’s painful. Waterford is the gateway to the South East, fact. If you don’t think so, then you obviously haven’t spent much time here. My circle of friends has as many people from Wexford and South Kilkenny, the place is a melting pot of people from the SE, the UK and Poland with a dash of Africa and instead of weakening us, we should be strengthened.
I’ve never been one for tribalism, marching, etc but if there is a march in relation to the WRH, then I for one will be involved.
Where are people getting that this was a proposal by consultants? Seriously some people need to cop on, and stop mindlessly lashing out at every group the media spoon feeds them crap about. I’m open to correction here but I would be very surprised if the extremely dedicated consultants in WRH, tabled a proposal to downgrade its services, effectively making themselves redundant?
That doesn’t make a good story for the Sunday independent though. Must include the words
Fat cat
This piece is a re-edited piece, the original piece had inaccuracies in it, mainly that this downgrade was been pushed by a group of consultants, where as it is been pushed by a review group that was set up my Min Reilly.
The author has obviously changed it.
The consultants in WRH have in fact made a counter-proposal to keep the SE group of hospitals together.
Consultants in WRH are absolutely 100% opposed to any proposal to downgrade the regional hospital of the South East and are expressing their concerns every which way they can. It is for economic reasons only that the break-up of the hospital network of South Tipp. General, St Lukes Kilkenny, Wexford General and WRH is being proposed, not for the better delivery of patient care or to improve services. Consultants, whatever we think of their pay-packets, are extremely qualified and very well placed to make decisions on the basis of what’s best for caring for the sick and injured.
The people of the South East, not just Waterford, but the entire region, need to stand up and be counted. We cannot let some grossly overpaid politicians sign off on what could be the single-most detrimental act to the entire South-Eastern region without putting up a major obstacle. There’s over 500,000 people who will be affected by this plot and it cannot be allowed to proceed as they would want it to.
The South East = The most ignored part of Ireland.Always treated the worst.
If Reilly Kenny and all those other clowns proceed with this filthy proposal I will personally take revenge on them
Not worth dirtying your hands Neil. Things have a way of coming around and biting them on the ar*e.
Their day is approaching fast.
I demand that Kenny and Reilly attend in Waterford next Saturday and answer directly to th people who voted them into office – and can vote them out…….
Now I am thinking why not spoil my vote next Saturday and just write WRH on the ballot paper. Could we start a campaign on that?
Kenny and Reilly will never speak to the People of Waterford just like they ignored us in Roscommon
I wonder would Enda get European of the year if they knew how many people they will kill if they downgrade WRH
there were 4 ambulances and the air ambulance left an RTA in Roscommon 2 weeks ago and actually passed a fully equipped newly built about 7-8 years ago to the tune of 8 million euro which Kenny and Reilly closed July 2011 and it costs more to keep it closed than it would to keep it open never mind the fact that we do have atleast one and half hour journey to the nearest A+E and never mind the fact that Reily gave wrong figures to cover up why he closed it down
SO DO NOT GIVE UP THE FIGHT TO KEEP YOUR HOSPITAL STATUS and always remember this shower are only here for a short time We the People of Ireland are here well and truly long after them
This govt. can do whatever it wants, the sheeple of Ireland will complain but do nothing. Next month it will be something else, more moaning to follow. No wonder TD s don’t give a toss these days I’d say it’s because there is no reaction to any action they take. If there was a tax on flushing the toilet next half the population would sign up immediately sheep baa!
Consultants feather their own nest egg. There are plenty more consultants from South America, and Eastern Europe to replace them.
that’s a very good point we don’t owe loyality to consultants that are raping the system. as most of the health system budget is salary then bring in those who would be more than delighted to work for a fair salary… and maintain the service the for the public instead of handy jobs club for those in the health system.
Follow us on Facebook: save southeast hospital networks
WRH hospital is already in a bad way , diabetes services is a disgrace for children and adults at this hospital , waiting lists r so wrong , I need a ct scan , was told by my GP it’s a 2 year waiting list , so I have to pay , that’s money I don’t have , Have a child with Autism all my money goes on his needs first . And a child with diabets we have to travel to st Luke’s for a better services.
No tax without representation . Refuse to pay all taxes due to the government until they back down on this mad mad idea.
Tax is taken at source in the majority of cases Einstein.
Are you going be in charge of the revolution?
As a resident in south tipp now ye know what’s like to have healthcare cuts in your area however having been a patient in both hospitals I’d much rather the care and professionalism shown to me in cork however many vulnerable people are going to be effected by this decision so it’s one that’s ha major consequences to all concerned but I can say in my personal experience some of the staff in Waterford won’t be missed if they lose their jobs as they are not one bit professional in dealing with patients
You obviously don’t understand the stress and pressure Irish nurses and hospital staff work under nationwide. They do an impossible job when under resourced and generally unsupported by the hierarchy at what ever level. If you had a bad experience blame the system not the staff.
Yes they will. I can only speak for my self and family but when ever we have had to make use of WRH, (birth of two babies and two or three minor A+E visits) WRH staff have been professional and caring.
The Midwife team in particular can not be faulty in my experience. We have appreciated the care given.
I fail to see how cork is the centre of anywhere.
And all the while former Minister Martin Cullen, who frequently topped the polls in Waterford, is claiming a €100k pension whilst working as a wine merchant in sunny Florida. The same Martin Cullen behind the €52m which was wasted on e-voting machines. The adage ‘you get what you vote for’ can be applied up and down this whole nation but in Waterford it is particularly salient.
The facts are. Cullen didn’t order the e-voting machines. Dermot Ahern did. Cullen was in office when they arrived.
Sickening. It’s not getting any better is it. Any real ideas on how people can make a stance on the frustration we all feel?
Divide and conquer seems to be the mantra of this government and reading the posts above it seems they are succeeding. The proposed re-structuring of WRH and other major hospitals around the country is going to affect every man, woman and child at some stage in their lives. It is time in my opinion for people to put their political differences aside and stop this petty point scoring as it achieves absolutely nothing. Now is the time to start working together to put a stop to the pillage and plunder of our towns and cities and these cuts to vital services regardless of political persuasion. I am from Waterford and have seen the City go from a thriving hub of activity a few years ago to a City struggling to survive. Unfortunately we have no government minister at national level and so we have no real “clout” in Leinster House when these proposals and decisions are being made. It’s sad, but true and that shows parish pump politics at its best. That said, we are all Irish, we all live on this island, it is time we stood together and worked towards the common good of the people as opposed to fighting and point scoring in a public forum such as this. This is simply an opinion and I will not be entertaining or responding to any petty childish responses from faceless, nameless trolls who appear on this site regularly.
The article doesn’t mention that the march is ending up in john Roberts square where the waterford gives a shirt gathering will be.
So bring a shirt for waterford
This government continues to pay homage to our nazi overlords and the Irish people continue to pay the price , what event will be the tipping point I wonder….your call Ireland
@david grannell
My experience was with a doctor who abused my elderly grandmother in her dying days and before she went for an operation he was rude and abusive towards her and us her family the real victims here are us the south easy citizens and of course the nurses who do an outstanding job I have nothing but respect for the work the nurses have to do but doctors have no right to abuse patients and for the record this doctor has been punished but still hate to see him treating patients this way
im afraid we will see much more of this and on a greater scale. the idea is centralize and relocate, this is the policy coming down from the top. as for whether it is consultant led, rest assured they have an extraordinarily disproportionate say in the running of our health services, but they ain’t all bad. they are neither chosen by the people or representative of them though, and are part of the elite.
WRH hospital is already has a bad services , Diabetes care for children and adults is a disgrace at this hospital , waiting times for scans and consultants is a big problem already . As for the ambulance services , it took 90 mins for one to get to my house in Tramore once for my child . Being a mum of children with Autism , heart problem , and Diabetes Typ 1 . We have to travel already for better services … Can the get any worse at this hospital ??
I work in UCHG and recently spoke to an employee of WRH. The picture he painted about what may happen in the future was not pretty. As a health care worker I am fully aware of the scale of the cuts in the health service, the overcrowding at A+Es, the waiting lists that go on for ever , stretched resources and staff shortages. It was while trying to find out more about WRH difficulties that i came across this site . As I am not from your region I am loth to comment as I do not wish to cause offence or appear condescending to any body but I would like to make some observations and suggestions if I may. During difficult times emotions run high and people in the public eye tend to shoulder much of the blame though not all of the fault . However bickering and making accusations about each other will solve nothing. There must be a coherant comprehensive and inclusive plan of action for the entire S E region. Most if not all government decisions are based on costs . Financial decisions that affect us all are made by accountants and economists.Emotion or moral responsibility do not figure in their calculations. There are plenty of smart people in the south east who are capable of designing and costing an alternative plan for the region. But its not just about health services alone . The issue of a university must be addressed urgently as is the issue of the airports loss of business. The SE has huge potential, but it is essential that the region display a unity of purpose . Put parish pump politics aside and if the politicians wont help then dump them and do it yourselves do it together .
Good news at last . Plasters for Mayo General . Hooray
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