Protest over 24/7 Heart Attack Care

JMT2016

24/7 heart attack care is an important issue which affects everyone in the South East including students at WIT.

Eamon Dunphy was excellent on the Late Late Show this evening highlighting that

1. Outside of business hours, the care being offered to heart attack patients in the South East is totally inadequate - helicopters to cork were mentioned!

2. This is a south-east regional issue not a waterford one

3. This affects hundreds of thousands of people

4. John Halligan is sincere in his efforts to highlight this disgrace

10 days on and this is still hitting the headlines.

Now that a public protest has been called for next Saturday 24th 2-4pm, The Glen, Waterford - it really shows that this issue is not going to go away.

https://www.facebook.com/events/1396305280398987/

South East Patients Advocacy Group appeal to the people of the South East to come out and voice your protest at the ongoing erosion of services including cardiology services at Waterford University Hosptial.

This protest is non political and there will be no political speeches - this is purely a protest by the people whose lives are being affected by the ongoing cuts to services available to them in University Hospital Waterford

The politicians had their say... the consultants had their say... now it's our turn... let's show them that we are not going to lie down and accept this despicable situation any longer

JMT2016

Oh look where the HSE is spending the South East Cardiac Care Money

The 1.8 MILLION Helipad mightn't be as priority if South East Cardiac Care patients didn't need to travel half away across the country to get basic healthcare outside of 9-5.

P.s. Can anyone send me on a link to the independent report justifying a 1.8 million conversion of car park spaces to a helipad?
Or are independent reports only needed if the South East needs basic emergency care?

http://www.eveningecho.ie/cork-news/helicopter-landing-site-cuh-needed/2533388/

Evening Echo wrote:

HELICOPTER LANDING SITE FOR CUH NEEDED

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016
AN on-site helipad for Cork University Hospital is edging closer to reality, with confirmation that the HSE hopes to lodge a planning application shortly.

The issue of the ongoing wait for the helipad, which is projected to cost €1.8m, was raised at yesterday’s HSE Regional Health Forum South meeting in County Hall.

Cllr John Buttimer called on the health service to publish a full report on the development of a helicopter landing site at CUH, noting the timeliness of the motion given the airlifiting of three young children from West Cork to the hospital on Tuesday night after they sustained burn injuries in an explosion in their home.

The helicopter landed in Bishopstown, as is common procedure, where an ambulance was waiting to transfer the patients to hospital.

“Recent events in Cork this week and other separate incidents have highlighted the need for a helicopter landing pad at CUH. It is one of the largest university teaching hospitals and one of the largest trauma 1 centres in the country.”

Addressing Cllr Buttimer’s question, Gerry O’Dwyer, chief executive of the South/South Western Hospital Group, confirmed that the HSE is in advanced talks with the Irish Aviation Authority with a view to lodge planning permission shortly.

“The position at the moment is we’re in very delicate negotiations with the Aviation Authority because the type of helicopter that is required to land there is the coastguard helicopter which is based in either Shannon or Waterford along with the Air Corps helicopter which is based presently in Athlone.”

“The position is when we finish the final negotiations with the aviation authority, which are about to conclude shortly, we will then lodge planning permission.”

Mr O’Dwyer stated that the HSE’s priority is to ensure that patients can go straight to the hospital rather than have to go to any other location.

“We have a temporary location in Bishopstown at the moment and occasionally we use Cork Airport,” he added.

“We’re looking closely at the number of car parking spaces that we will have to remove and what locations we can put those in. Our priority is to get the helicopter landing pad in, even if necessary we have to lose spaces.”

JMT2016

South East Heart Attack Care protest this Saturday at 2pm, The Forum The Glen, Waterford.

One recent story was featured by the Mirror - 3 patients, two from Kilkenny and Wexford.

Pensioner's heart surgery stopped halfway through when emergency patient arrived at Waterford hospital

Tom O’Dwyer - from Slieverue, Co Kilkenny- had one stent inserted when he was taken out of theatre to allow a critically-ill patient to receive life-saving cardiac treatment.

Mr O’Dwyer said he understood the doctor was working “under very difficult circumstances” and was glad the other patient was treated – or else they may not have survived.

He added: “If I were in the doctor’s position I don’t know how I would have felt having to stop in the middle of working on one patient and deal with an emergency.

“It’s an impossible position to put someone in. Their work shouldn’t be interrupted.

“While I was waiting in that cubicle for them to finish off my procedure there was a man beside me who had been sent there in an ambulance from Wexford and at about 5.30pm they had to send him home without having anything done.