Unequal treatment for Donegal?

Noreen1

I just came across this link in another thread - and it left me fuming.:mad:

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland...ks-189758.html

It seems to me that this poor man is every bit as entitled to pain relief as someone who lives in Dublin.

Is this a taste of what we can expect?
If so, what are we going to do about it?

retalivity

Noreen1 wrote: »

Is this a taste of what we can expect?

Sadly, yes. Although people shouldnt be surprised...things like this have been going on for years. Recent cuts will just exacerbate more people.

If so, what are we going to do about it?

They same thing we always do - bugger all

Noreen1

retalivity wrote: »

Sadly, yes. Although people shouldnt be surprised...things like this have been going on for years. Recent cuts will just exacerbate more people.



They same thing we always do - bugger all[/QUOTE]

I don't know this man from Adam - but for some reason, this has struck a chord.

It was bad enough that people had to travel for these services - but, sod it - just to turn someone away because they're not from the hospitals "catchment area", when the HSE have pursued a policy of "Centres of excellence" for years, is just not good enough!!
Surely the HSE must be legally compelled to treat people equally, regardless of where they are from? (Any legal eagles out there?)

If that is the case, surely there must be a case for discrimination, based on where the man is from?

For years, Donegal has been "the forgotten County" - if we let this go without a fight, we wont be the forgotten County anymore - we'll stop getting even the dregs that we get now.

You might want to read the thread on the politics section (Irish economy), titled "The reality of cutbacks" (I'm not sure if I'm allowed to link it - and I'm too bl**dy angry to make sense of the charter right now:o).

I don't know about you - but I'm not ready to be treated as a second class citizen anymore.........:mad::mad:

2moreMinutes

If entirely accurate, this just isnt right.

Something doesnt seem right about the story though. For the mans sake, I'm hoping theres an important part of the story missing.

muffler

2moreMinutes wrote: »

If entirely accurate, this just isnt right.

Something doesnt seem right about the story though. For the mans sake, I'm hoping theres an important part of the story missing.

The story is also carried by Highland Radio

2moreMinutes

The HSE provides treatment in other countries if it isnt available in Ireland so withholding treatment simply due to being outside a catchment area doesnt make sense to me.

The centres of excellence project (for want of a better word) also dont apply to pain relief as far as I know.

danjo

Looks like nothing has changed since the Bridget McCole travesty.

muffler

Okay then. What can we do? We can contact the people who we voted to represent us at local and national levels and Im posting their contact details below. So feel free to call in person, write, telephone or email and express your opinion.

As far as I know the gentleman concerned lives in the Stranorlar Electoral Area so I have also included contact details for the local Councillors. If any of the details are incorrect then please let me know and I will correct them.

Donegal SW. TDs:

Pearse Doherty
Ard Na gCeapari
Middletown
Derrybeg
Tel : 074-9532832
Email: pearse.doherty@oireachtas.ie

Dinny McGinley
Magheralosk
Bunbeg
Tel: 074-9531025/074-9531719
Email: dinny.mcginley@oireachtas.ie

Thomas Pringle
Connolly House
Bridge Street
Killybegs
Co. Donegal.Tel : 074-97-41880
Email: thomas.pringle@oireachtas.ie

Donegal NE. TDs:

Charlie McConalogue
Chapel Street
Carndonagh
Co. Donegal.
Tel: 074-9373131
Email: charlie.mcconalogue@oireachtas.ie

Joe McHugh
Lower Main Street
Letterkenny
Tel: 074-9164787
Email: joe.mchugh@oireachtas.ie

Padraig MacLochlainn
Main Street
Buncrana
Tel: 074-9342160
Email: padraig.maclochlainn@oireachtas.ie

Donegal Senators:

Jimmy Harte
3 Sylvan Park,
Letterkenny
Tel: Constituency Office : 074.911005
Seanad Office: 01.6183615
Email: jimmy.harte@oir.ie

Brian Ó Domhnaill
Main Street,
Gortahork
Tel: 074 – 9165466
brian.odomhnaill@oireachtas.ie

Stranorlar EA members:
Gerry Crawford,
Porthall,
Lifford
Tel No: (074) 91 41231
Email: gerrycrawford@donegalcoco.ie

Martin Harley,
Dreenan,
Ballybofey
086 6490152
Email: MARINHARLEY@donegalcoco.ie

Cora Harvey
Sessiaghoneill,Ballybofey
Co Donegal
Tel: (074) 9532832
Mobile: 087 2653833
Email: coraharvey@donegalcoco.ie

Frank McBrearty
Tullyvinney,
Raphoe
087 2058224
Email: FRANKMCBREARTY@donegalcoco.ie

Patrick McGowan
Mayfield,
Killygordon
Tel No: 087 6868438
Email: patrickmcgowan@donegalcoco.ie

ednwireland

in my experience pringle and doherty dont answer emails, dinny does though (forwhat its worth)

Noreen1

Thanks for the contact details Muffler.

I'm off to send some very irate e-mails, the gist of which will be the states absolute failure, in this case "to cherish all its citizens equally"....

Cee-Jay-Cee

What an absolute joke!! Everyone should email each of the elected reps on the list above and demand that they do something about this debacle!

If the treatment were available in this 'catchment area' but the man had to travel to sligo or galway or where ever then i could sort of understand but because it is not available here now means that he has to go without is very very wrong. The HSE are negligent in this mans care and discriminating against him purely because of his address is very worrying.

muffler

This poor man in Convoy is suffering because of HSE lack of funds apparently yet only last December Dr James Reilly had the cash to appoint another doctor as a "special adviser" and pay him €160,000 per year while the guy spends half of his time in the US. and missed 6 out of 10 meetings in January.

Source

muffler

The gentleman has just been on Highland radio and is now going to have the treatment again. He got a phone call yesterday from the doctor in Dublin who had been treating him to advise him that the HSE had now allocated the funding.

Well done.


Edit/ Link to Highland radio story



.

ednwireland

muffler wrote: »

This poor man in Convoy is suffering because of HSE lack of funds apparently yet only last December Dr James Reilly had the cash to appoint another doctor as a "special adviser" and pay him €160,000 per year while the guy spends half of his time in the US. and missed 6 out of 10 meetings in January.

Source

these people must see our goverments coming, leeches

one thing that sticks in my craw is the breaking of the advisor salary cap of 92000 euro pa, on of the first promises fg broke yet they seem to think a 37k pay rise is ok

didnt they promise to get rid of cronyism and paying advisors fortunes,, they are in the gravy train just like the last lot, funny dinny nor enda seemed to want to reply to my emails on that one

Noreen1

Does anyone know whether this decision was made in regard to St. Vincents hospital, only - or was it a HSE decision, relating to other hospitals, too?

This link suggests that the decision has been overturned in Mr. Keaveneys case, but what about everyone else who needs treatment, of one kind or another?

http://www.donegalnow.com/sp/article_manager/detail/hse_consider_keaveney_case

I have googled, but that's the most recent link I can find.

If the policy hasn't been overturned, then this may have serious consequences for all our families in the future.

So, does anyone have any further information available?

edit:
I tried a different search string, and came up with this:

http://www.donegaldemocrat.ie/news/local/hse-u-turn-on-donegal-cancer-survivor-1-3730748“;

“It’s just like winning the Lotto, to be honest. It’s great news. Dr O’Keeffe was as happy as me: he was just over the moon.

“He asked me how I did it and I told him it was the media and the local politicians working together, putting the pressure on with all the publicity.

“I’m not the type of person who wants to be going to the media but I had no choice. It was that or just sit there in excruciating pain all the time.

“I had two goals in going to the media and the local TDs and senators, to get treatment for myself and to to encourage other people to come forward, to use their voice and fight for their rights.

“I just hope that other people who are in the same boat as myself get their treatment.

“If it wasn‘t for everyone working together, the media and politicians, I would still be sitting here in limbo.

“I’d like to thank them all, and Dr O’Keeffe asked me to thank them on his behalf as well, especially Thomas Pringle TD and Senators Jimmy Harte and Brian O Domhnaill.

“Both senators have said that they are going to raise the issue in the Seanad on Wednesday. It’s not going to go away. There are other people out there who are still suffering and they need help too.

It looks as if this is not over, yet!

echo beach

Noreen1 wrote: »

This link suggests that the decision has been overturned in Mr. Keaveneys case, but what about everyone else who needs treatment, of one kind or another?

If the policy hasn't been overturned, then this may have serious consequences for all our families in the future.

As usual in our health service those who shout loudest get the service. I don't blame this man. I am delighted for him and I would do exactly the same but that isn't how it should be.
The sickest people can't demand attention. I really pity anyone who can't speak up for themselves or who doesn't have family to look out for them.

Noreen1

echo beach wrote: »

As usual in our health service those who shout loudest get the service. I don't blame this man. I am delighted for him and I would do exactly the same but that isn't how it should be.
The sickest people can't demand attention. I really pity anyone who can't speak up for themselves or who doesn't have family to look out for them.

The point is, we should all be entitled to equal services.

I honestly think this poor man has done every single citizen that lives outside Dublin a huge favour, by highlighting yet another unreported cutback.

Had he not done so, any services centred in Dublin would have been almost exclusive to people who live in Dublin - and the rest of us (who also pay taxes to pay for these services) would be left either with the dregs left over, or nothing at all that wasn't available locally.

That is not equal treatment, therefore I would assume it to be a violation
of Human Rights.

None of us know what services ourselves, or our families/friends will need in the future - therefore this inequality needs to be addressed now, imho.
The onus is on all of us to ensure that everyone gets their fair share of the services available, and especially those who live outside of Dublin, with no one to defend or care for them.

echo beach

Noreen1 wrote: »

The point is, we should all be entitled to equal services.

I think we are all agreed on that

Had he not done so, any services centred in Dublin would have been almost exclusive to people who live in Dublin - and the rest of us (who also pay taxes to pay for these services) would be left either with the dregs left over, or nothing at all that wasn't available locally.

We have to be careful that this doesn't turn into a Dublin verus The Rest story. Divide and conquer is still an effective strategy. The issue is a lack of funding for the treatment. The 'catchment area' is just one excuse. You may find Dublin patients are also losing out but are given a different excuse, e.g. that they aren't 'sick enough' to qualify.
Everybody has to stand together against these cuts, not fight among ourselves.

The onus is on all of us to ensure that everyone gets their fair share of the services available, and especially those who live outside of Dublin

We need to ensure that everyone gets treatment according to their need, regardless of where they live.

Noreen1

echo beach wrote: »

I think we are all agreed on that




We have to be careful that this doesn't turn into a Dublin verus The Rest story. Divide and conquer is still an effective strategy. The issue is a lack of funding for the treatment. The 'catchment area' is just one excuse. You may find Dublin patients are also losing out but are given a different excuse, e.g. that they aren't 'sick enough' to qualify.
Everybody has to stand together against these cuts, not fight among ourselves.



We need to ensure that everyone gets treatment according to their need, regardless of where they live.

Yes, we do. But unless the rule about the catchment area is overturned, then the reality is that that will not be the case.

Hopefully, on Wednesday, the Seanad will ensure that the rule is overturned, and then people from all parts of the Country (including Dublin) will have access to all available services.

I have nothing against Dublin people, but the reality is that a significant amount of specialist services are located there. Therefore, unless this rule is overturned, the HSE will have succeeded in denying the majority of the population specialist services.
I want to see all of the people get access to services.

Cutbacks will happen. However, I think it is important that neither the Government, nor the HSE, think they have "carte blanche" permission from the people to deny basic Human Rights.
That is my only agenda. I have no wish to deny treatment to people from Dublin, or any other area - quite the opposite, in fact.

echo beach

Noreen1 wrote: »

Yes, we do. But unless the rule about the catchment area is overturned, then the reality is that that will not be the case.

Is it a 'rule' or just another excuse? If it was a rule then they couldn't just make an exception in this case.

Hopefully, on Wednesday, the Seanad will ensure that the rule is overturned, and then people from all parts of the Country (including Dublin) will have access to all available services.

If there isn't adequate funding then somebody somewhere will have to lose out and the Seanad aren't addressing that because they can't.

That is my only agenda. I have no wish to deny treatment to people from Dublin, or any other area - quite the opposite, in fact

I understand that. We both have the same agenda -fair access.

Noreen1

echo beach wrote: »

Is it a 'rule' or just another excuse? If it was a rule then they couldn't just make an exception in this case.


If there isn't adequate funding then somebody somewhere will have to lose out and the Seanad aren't addressing that because they can't.


I understand that. We both have the same agenda -fair access.

Let's just call it a HSE instruction, for the sake of argument.
Since it will be brought up in the Seanad on Wednesday, I presume our Senators, of all Political persuasions, are sufficiently concerned to consider ensuring that this "instruction" is overturned. Rightly so, imo.

As to adequate funding - that's a huge issue, and we are already all losing out, to be honest.
In my experience, there are more services available than there were 20 years ago, but waiting times have increased to ridiculous levels for some services, and I don't think anyone can argue that A&E services aren't in dire straits, countrywide.

The situation needs to be addressed.
Our Minister for Health would have us believe that the changes he is making will result in improved services, at less cost.

There is little doubt that we could achieve similar services for the same cost, since most profitable, well-run Companies can, and do, employ consultants to achieve that on a regular basis - but I have very little faith that we will achieve that, much less an improved service.

However, I will wait and see what (if any) cost saving measures are suggested before I comment. I expect that the cost savings will affect patient services, access, and cost, more than any other area. It's impossible to fight what we know little or nothing about, though.
So, we'll just have to wait and see.