A Rumpus in Drogheda - Cottage Hospital

Lord TSC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGUJ_TrDvJs

Saw this link and a story on the Indo website, and surprised it's not been brought up on the Louth board given it occured in Drogheda.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/woman-assaulted-me-at-hospital-rally-claims-fine-gael-td-2996590.html

Anyone actually attend this?

Biggins

30 Seconds in, FG Fergus O'Dowd stepping off the stage and walking away?
A list should be done up consisting of those that refused to sign.

Nesta99

It is really not nice when local hospital services are closed and that government representatives lie and deceive about offering support to maintaining services then do nothing:mad:. Often they are not in a position to do anything but at least call it so rather than 'run with the hare and chase with the hound'!

What is crazy is that these smaller respite type units are being closed which will push patients in to already oversubscribed acute hospital beds, increasing waiting times in A&E, surgical waiting lists, and lessening clinic hours - and the cycle goes on. Factor in the increased costs of running an acute hospital bed rather than a care home type bed and it just all makes no sense at all. Short term savings costing a medium term financial mess!

The people who make these decisions are over paid, under qualified, jumped up idiots.

I'm no political expert, but I don't see the issue to be honest. If they don't feel they can 'save' the hospital, why sign? At least they're being honest about it by not signing.

Wouldn't I be right in saying the country/HSE can't afford the Cottage Hospital? With that in mind... Shouldn't we be questioning those who DID sign it. Clearly the country can't afford to have the cottage hospital open. Therefore, regardless of any singing or dancing, it will be closing.

Why sign a form if the hospital is closing anyway? People are constantly complaining that we've no honest politicians, and when they do actually make an honest move, they literally get booed off a stage.


I don't understand it? Am I wrong somewhere along the lines? Can anyone explain to me what I'm missing here?

Lord TSC

At least they're being honest about it by not signing.

It's a catch 22 for politicans I guess. Either they sign it and get in trouble later when they don't fulfill those promises. Or they tell the truth now and get in trouble now. I do agree with you though.

I read one comment on the Indo site which summed it up for me. Everyone has a job or a facility they don't want to see go but which cannot be sustained by the economy at this moment in time. We can moan and complain and protest about politicans all we want but the truth is that the country doesn't have the money to support everything and some important things are going to get hit, be that education, health, employment or otherwise.

Nesta99

There were statements of support made previously but then wouldnt back it up with any more than lipservice.

My own point still stands - how do these closures save money? Ok initially cost are cut in staffing etc. But the patients/clients havent disappeared, they still have to be facilitated therefore are very likely to become 'bed blockers' in the Lourdes for example. This as already stated is a more expensive scenario with the added consequences of adversly effecting services regardless of funding levels. Add to this the pressures of coping with closing of services at Dundalk and Navan and you really are putting people at risk. The Lourdes is the worst performing hospital in the country, blighted be regular controversies, this is largely down to the decisions similar to the closing of the Cottage. I absolutely acknowladge cutbacks are necessary, lets start with the underporforming CEOs' and other management!

Biggins

They probably couldn't sign because it would have conflicted with present party policy.
They would be seen to go against the party quite visually. The media might have a field-day and HQ in Dublin would chew their ass!

Not excusing them - I think its disgraceful that they won't support an big issue from the very people that has elected them.

I hope people in Louth remember all this at next election time!

atila

I wouldnt be familiar with the issues here, so forgive me if the answer to what i ask may seem obvious ..

But why is there need for two seperate hospital operations in Drogheda? Without knowing a lot about the services provided, I'm just wondering why people oppose the consolidation of operations under the one roof and management structure? Is it simply fear that services provided will be curtailed and not replaced?

Biggins

atila wrote: »

I wouldnt be familiar with the issues here, so forgive me if the answer to what i ask may seem obvious ..

But why is there need for two seperate hospital operations in Drogheda? Without knowing a lot about the services provided, I'm just wondering why people oppose the consolidation of operations under the one roof and management structure? Is it simply fear that services provided will be curtailed and not replaced?

The Lourdes Hospital is a training hospital officially.
The Cottage Hospital is a hospital is a nursing home for the elderly and a long stay residential unit.
It provides longer term care for those that are sick, not likely to recover and for the infirm.
If they were not in the 'Cottage', they would be taking up much needed beds in the Lourdes that have a faster rotation cycle as casualties and sick come and go a lot quicker.

Here is some specific info on it: http://www.myhomefromhome.ie/homes/nursing_home?home_id=437#information

Write up about Sunday protest: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/0123/1224310627052.html

Minister booed at hospital protest

A MARCH in Drogheda in support of retaining Health Service Executive services for elderly long-stay patients culminated in an apparent assault on a Fine Gael TD and two other Government deputies being refused the microphone to address the 700-strong crowd.

The three deputies in question – Fine Gael’s Peter Fitzpatrick and Fergus O’Dowd and Labour’s Gerald Nash – had declined to sign a pledge which would have involved them agreeing to vote, if necessary, against the Government on the issue.

The rally in Drogheda, Co Louth, was organised by the Save Drogheda Cottage Hospital and last night it was expected that two Labour councillors would resign from the group.

The secretary of the committee is Imelda Munster, a Sinn Féin councillor, and the MC for the rally was Frank Godfrey, a non-party councillor.

Mr Godfrey said he believed in free speech but “the action group had a cast iron agreement that if they didn’t sign the pledge they could not speak. Over our dead bodies will we allow the Government to close the hospital.”

The future of 33 long-term beds and 19 respite beds between the Cottage Hospital in Drogheda and St Joseph’s in Ardee is under examination by the Minister for Health, who suggested a trust be considered to run the Cottage Hospital.

The HSE is looking at having all such long-term and respite care for the elderly at another site in Drogheda, but this is dependent on a feasibility study and funding.

Speaking after he was met by booing and was then directed off the stage, Minister of State for the NewEra Project. Fergus O’Dowd said: “What happened today in my own town is where a bunch of fascist thugs prevented us from speaking as TDs for this town . . . and the people of Drogheda won’t wear this.”

He compared what happened to “a Nuremberg rally where you are dictated to by a small number of people.

“I was abused going up by a man who threatened he’d pull me off.”

Imelda Munster, secretary of the hospital committee and is also Sinn Fein councillor on Drogheda Borough Council said: “I am calling on him to withdrawn that remark. It is ill-founded, unwarranted and insulting. All he was asked to do was sign a pledge to support the people of Drogheda and retaining the hospital.”

Another Fine Gael deputy Peter Fitzpatrick, who is also the manager of the Louth football team, appeared to be slapped on the face by a woman after he too was booed off the stage.

Speaking afterwards he said the committee “wanted me to vote against the Government but Séamus Kirk would not vote against Fianna Fáil and Gerry Adams would not vote against Sinn Féin”.

Labour deputy Gerald Nash said: “Some of the people who decided to take this approach today were the very same people for whom we repealed section 31 of the Broadcasting Act in the early 1990s to allow people to make up their own minds on terrorists and their actions.”

The other two TDs for the constituency – Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams and Séamus Kirk (FF) – each spoke to the crowd and signed the pledge.

The crowd was told by committee member Joe Reid that “we have not organised this rally to give a platform to people who have already let you down”.

It had been agreed that any TD who failed to sign the pledge “would not be using this platform to talk to you today”, he added.

lucernarian

To be honest, they should have been allowed one chance on the platform to explain themselves in not signing such a pledge. It doesn't seem like fair grounds to hold a discussion and a rally on saving it.

Nesta99

I myself do not think they should have been allowed speak and continue to spin. I know it is against certain norms, and i wouldnt normally agree with obstructing a speaker, (i did chuckle at Ged Nash's reference to section 31 tbh) but it wasnt their platform to speak. I also find it highly ironic that Adams, and in particular Kirk signed the pledge - it is very easy to make such gestures when in opposition!!

280special

Dont agree with any sort of physical attack. Having said that at least by not spouting off his lies at this meeting maybe Mr.Fitzpatrick could actually answer some of the email queries that he doesnt seem to be bothered with.

Plenty of support there by the look of it, difficult to get people out at times but there were a fair few there.

One word came through very clear describing those Government supporting politicians....Liar.

Anyone got a problem with that description ?

Biggins

From above:

Fergus O’Dowd said: “What happened today in my own town is where a bunch of fascist thugs prevented us from speaking as TDs for this town . . . and the people of Drogheda won’t wear this.”

Fascist?
O’Dowd cares more about being able to speak to the people (LMFM doesn't exist?) than he does about the 'Cottage'.
A place the same very people want to save.
...Aaa... but its convenient to use 'the people' when you want to (I'm assuming) offer up excuses and "I'm not willing to fight in your corner".

..As for will the people wear it? Dear Fergus, I think they will and some will remember it too at election time!

Nesta99

Fascist..how ironic? Stick on the Blueshirt:p

See you for your clinic in Dundalk Fergus! Seems that that LCH will be taking up the slack from other closures. No issue as long as closed bed are replaced elswhere

Biggins

I have been VERY sick this last two weeks. I still am.
(Actually this is my first post back on boards.ie for 4/5 days)
I had to spend time up in Lourdes casualty and I just want to state that things (through NO fault of the staff up there who were honestly working tirelessly to better the situation) are just as bad up there as ever.
There was people (including a kid) lying about in corridors, on beds. Yet again, the place was like a Vietnam MASH unit with a country at war, ours!

Now when the Cottage Hospital is closed, I dread to think what pressure even more its going to create in the Lourdes as any beds available (or not) are took to cope with an already absolutely dire situation already.

Nesta99

Sorry to hear that Biggins! Hope things are looking up now. I had 10 hours in Lourdes A+E (posterior dislocated fracture of the greater trocantor of the humorous:p... dislocated shoulder with broken bone lol). 10 hours sitting without being able to get pain relief until a bed or stretcher was secured. I thought i was bad until i met a guy on a stretcher who was 2 days waiting for a bed...the nurses were nipping out to the shop and buying sandwiches to feed him as as he was not admitted yet he was not on the kitchens list. I have decent health insurance too which meant i got a bed sooner than in all honesty some who deserved it more. If ancillary services are reduced such as the Cottage etc and things continue to disimprove i'd just head straight to a Dublin (or Belfast) hospital:mad:

furiousox

I sat on a trolley in Lourdes A&E from tuesday until friday last September waiting for an operation on my broken wrist.
No problem getting the surgery just no beds available upstairs.

Biggins

furiousox wrote: »

I sat on a trolley in Lourdes A&E from tuesday until friday last September waiting for an operation on my broken wrist.
No problem getting the surgery just no beds available upstairs.

The last bit is just the point.

If the Cottage closes, the effect could be that that situation as it is now, could be even made much worse.