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WRH proposed downgrade - protest on Saturday the 23rd of Feb

  • 25-10-2012 9:10am
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 3,510 ✭✭✭


    Heard him talking on WLR this morning re: a hospital review group and possible spliiting up/disbanding of south-east hospitals:

    WRH tacked on with a Cork hospital
    Kk with some Dublin Hospital
    Wex with some Dublin hospital


    If you think funding for WRH is bad now, this will kill WRH off altogether.


    WHAT THE HELL are paudie, deasy, conway up to, absolutely f-all by the looks of it. I cant think of a single reason why we would vote for them in next local/gen election. FG/Lab is a f-ing joke in Waterford at this stage, I didnt think I would be considering FF for about 2 gen elections at least.

    MOD EDIT: Its a long thread but the short and sweet version is that a lot is being done by some TDs behind the scene. Some of the South East counties are in favour, some have politicians who are not. Its a mixed bag but a lot is being done to fight against any potential downgrade - which at the moment is based on a leak. One such fight is a protest march by the 'Save Waterford' and 'Waterford Gives A Shirt' Groups.

    The protest is on Saturday, 8th Nov at 12pm. Starting on Ballybricken then making its way to Red Sq. No parking tickets will be issued during this period, according to the Save Waterford Facebook page and a number of venues are offering bits and bobs for the campaign. See the 'Save Waterford' Facebook Page for more info.

    Edited on request and a valid request to raise awareness


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Comments

  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,081 ✭✭✭wellboytoo


    Makes you think we are not paranoid, and there is an agenda to make the Southeast region disappear.


  • Registered Users Posts: 27,939 ✭✭✭✭looksee


    What does that actually mean though? There is a huge and functioning building there, they cannot make it vanish or magically move to Cork.

    Is this just about administration? Or moving some patients to a centre of excellence in Cork?

    I have seen a lot of WRH this last 6 months, but still I agree that creating centres of excellence has a lot of merit. Its hard to see how most activity would not continue to happen in Waterford though.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,682 ✭✭✭Bards


    What will happen is that HSE Cork will get the budget for all the hospitals it covers and then allocates money to each individual hospital.

    Already Cork (HSE South) Has allocated A Lot of Corks overspend to Waterford to make Cork look better (and gets even more money for performing well) and WRH worse. Even though WRH was operating within budget but is now overspending (Reduced budget now because of overspending) - Go figure

    This is what we are up against - it stinks, we would be better off forming an independent principality at this stage, and tell the Republic to go ****


  • Moderators, Education Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Regional South East Moderators Posts: 24,056 Mod ✭✭✭✭Sully


    This has been in local media for sometime, thanks to David, but I don't actually know much about it. Some report being carried out for Dr. Reilly, but I don't know the details bar there is a fear it means moving services away/around the South East.

    Would love to know more though.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,510 ✭✭✭Max Powers


    Sully wrote: »
    This has been in local media for sometime, thanks to David, but I don't actually know much about it. Some report being carried out for Dr. Reilly, but I don't know the details bar there is a fear it means moving services away/around the South East.

    Would love to know more though.


    Reilly was saying he wants smaller hopsitals to take over some of the smaller procedures, which is just a ruse to divert money to other hopsitals even though the arguement he has maybe sound for smaller ops in smaller hospitals.

    WRH is meant to be a centre of excellence and performs admirably with a budget less than nearly every other hospital in the country when you compare per-patient figures.

    WRH is the the regional hospital, if this happens, there will be no hospital region so no regional hospital.....sure what funding do they need.

    If adminsitered from Cork, we will get reduced funding, jobs in WRH removed to Cork. You can see that in WRH already, wards and doctors being removed from WRH and announcing opening of new wards and new specialists in Cork and Galway.

    All in all, its Reilly and FG/Lab raping Waterford again to get funding for other areas which have ministers or TDs that arent pathetic


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  • Registered Users Posts: 142 ✭✭bookworms


    Of course services will be moved from WRH. You can be sure with all the recent amalgamation issues (Councils & VECs) we will also see a drop in service provision in favour of other areas. Blinkered short term thinking by the government. We could be reversing all these decisions in 10 years for example at a much higher cost!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,081 ✭✭✭wellboytoo


    It is an attempt to break up the region of the southeast send Wex and KK to Dublin and Waterford to Cork, back to my point in another post four provinces four cities.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,124 ✭✭✭7upfree


    Sully wrote: »
    This has been in local media for sometime, thanks to David, but I don't actually know much about it. Some report being carried out for Dr. Reilly, but I don't know the details bar there is a fear it means moving services away/around the South East.

    Would love to know more though.

    I'd call it a reality.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,558 ✭✭✭seven_eleven


    I dont know how much more cuts the Hospitals and healthcare system in this country can take to be honest. And op, just because you dont like FG, Labour or SF that doesnt mean you have to go back to voting FF. I personally will not give any of them my vote because they're all useless tools.


  • Registered Users Posts: 963 ✭✭✭cococoady


    I personally will not give any of them my vote because they're all useless tools.

    Exactly the reason why I never have and never will vote. I couldn't trust any of them to do a proper job without they thinking of their own personal gain first.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 3,510 ✭✭✭Max Powers


    cococoady wrote: »
    Exactly the reason why I never have and never will vote. I couldn't trust any of them to do a proper job without they thinking of their own personal gain first.


    if you dont vote then you dont use your opinion democratically on how the place should be ran, your opinion therefore is in my eyes irrelevant. Harsh i know and i dont mean it as a personal attack.


  • Registered Users Posts: 51,054 ✭✭✭✭Professey Chin


    Max Powers wrote: »


    if you dont vote then you dont use your opinion democratically on how the place should be ran, your opinion therefore is in my eyes irrelevant. Harsh i know and i dont mean it as a personal attack.
    The ballot paper really needs am official "I think everyone on this is a knob" ballot. Treat it like an official vote and enough of them allows new candidates to stand


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,174 ✭✭✭Junior


    The ballot paper really needs am official "I think everyone on this is a knob" ballot. Treat it like an official vote and enough of them allows new candidates to stand

    I drew one on the last general election ballot paper and wrote a few comments, it's a spoilt vote sure, but it was my way of registering my frustration.


  • Registered Users Posts: 963 ✭✭✭cococoady


    Max Powers wrote: »


    if you dont vote then you dont use your opinion democratically on how the place should be ran, your opinion therefore is in my eyes irrelevant. Harsh i know and i dont mean it as a personal attack.

    Where did I offer my opinion on how the place should be run?
    I gave my opinion on how all politicians are crooks and for that I don't need to a registered voter.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,120 ✭✭✭fuzzy dunlop


    Max Powers wrote: »
    Heard him talking on WLR this morning re: a hospital review group and possible spliiting up/disbanding of south-east hospitals:

    WRH tacked on with a Cork hospital
    Kk with some Dublin Hospital
    Wex with some Dublin hospital


    If you think funding for WRH is bad now, this will kill WRH off altogether.


    WHAT THE HELL are paudie, deasy, conway up to, absolutely f-all by the looks of it. I cant think of a single reason why we would vote for them in next local/gen election. FG/Lab is a f-ing joke in Waterford at this stage, I didnt think I would be considering FF for about 2 gen elections at least.

    This is utterly depressing if true. A region of half a million and hence economy of scale and they're using it to support Dublin and Cork hospitals. I wonder will our neighbours in Kilkenny and Wexford wake up and smell the coffee or do they prefer to travel 80-100 miles for cancer treatment instead of 30-40 to Waterford.


  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 3,568 Mod ✭✭✭✭Siamsa Sessions


    At first glance, this seems a bit of a frightener story - just like the one about taking away Waterford's city status. The Government process could be as follows:

    (1) Commission a report on something, with enough scope in the Terms of Reference for the odd controversial conclusion/recommendation to appear.

    (2) Leak the controversial bit.

    The result is a local outcry about something that is (a) relatively minor in the national scheme of things (i.e. no interest taken by the national media), and (b) very unlikely to happen anyway.

    But you get a load of local people up in arms & you give the local media something to report on. The local TD from the Government party gets to say he's not taking this lying down, requested a meeting with the relevant Minister, commissioned his own report, etc.

    The end result: loads of hot harmless air, the local TD gets kudos when the controversy dies, and those that matter get on with whatever their own real agenda might be.

    It looks like a mixture of kite-flying and 'Distract-divide-and-conquer'.

    Trading as Sullivan’s Farm on YouTube



  • Registered Users Posts: 3,510 ✭✭✭Max Powers


    At first glance, this seems a bit of a frightener story - just like the one about taking away Waterford's city status. The Government process could be as follows:

    (1) Commission a report on something, with enough scope in the Terms of Reference for the odd controversial conclusion/recommendation to appear.

    (2) Leak the controversial bit.

    The result is a local outcry about something that is (a) relatively minor in the national scheme of things (i.e. no interest taken by the national media), and (b) very unlikely to happen anyway.

    But you get a load of local people up in arms & you give the local media something to report on. The local TD from the Government party gets to say he's not taking this lying down, requested a meeting with the relevant Minister, commissioned his own report, etc.

    The end result: loads of hot harmless air, the local TD gets kudos when the controversy dies, and those that matter get on with whatever their own real agenda might be.

    It looks like a mixture of kite-flying and 'Distract-divide-and-conquer'.

    They flew the kite about the merger and done it anyway, would you prefer to wait and see when its done and then make up your mind that its a bad idea for the SE.


  • Moderators, Education Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Regional South East Moderators Posts: 24,056 Mod ✭✭✭✭Sully


    I'd be inclined to defend what we have if there were serious grounds of it being removed. Even if it wasn't decided but there was a strong possibility.

    The City status thing was always total rubbish.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,081 ✭✭✭wellboytoo


    Sully wrote: »

    The City status thing was always total rubbish.

    Say's you , based on solid evidence, or blind loyalty to the FG party?

    KK do not want to be associated with WRH for what they see as the future threat of them being subsumed into the Waterford area, as they have the head office for the southeastern region and any clear thinking ( sic) government will in a time of cutbacks put the management and frontline in the same place as should have been done day one, only parochial politics took centre stage again.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,510 ✭✭✭Max Powers


    the N&S are on about WRH 'under attack' this week, cancer care..not a hope etc. This issue should/will make council merger look like a non-significance


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  • Registered Users Posts: 424 ✭✭Yes Boss


    Sully wrote: »
    I'd be inclined to defend what we have if there were serious grounds of it being removed. Even if it wasn't decided but there was a strong possibility.

    The City status thing was always total rubbish.

    Can you clarify this statement please? The only statement to date from Paudie Coffey (FG) was that Waterford would retain its 'Historic Status'. Now he was either stating facts or it was a 'mistake'. If what he said was fact - Waterford will be a 'Historical City' like Kilkenny and Clonmel and not a City under the Local Government Act 2001 which is the law of the land.


  • Moderators, Education Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Regional South East Moderators Posts: 24,056 Mod ✭✭✭✭Sully


    Bumping this as its not getting the attention it deserves. If what Cullinane is saying is true, then WRH and the South East Region could be hit badly if Minister Reilly sticks by the report and implements its recommendations. Right now, he is unaware of the contents of the report and I don't believe it was setup to target WRH or the South East specifically, but Ireland as a whole. I'm not 100% on that part though as I cant find any original media link on the report being commissioned.

    The background:
    Waterford Senator David Cullinane says he has been informed that the review group looking into hospital networks is recommending the complete breakup of the regional network in the Southeast. This would mean Waterford networking with Cork and Clonmel.Wexford with one Hospital in Dublin and Kilkenny with another hospital in Dublin.David Cullinane says the information comes from a well placed source and if allowed to proceed will haveserious implications for Waterford Regional Hospital.He says this is one of the most important issues facing the people of Waterford from a health perspective.

    The response so far:

    - Paudie Coffey (FG) & Maurice Cummins (FG) have both met recently on a number of occasions with Minister Reilly in relation to a report indicating the breakup of the hospital network in the South East. The report has not yet been seen by Minister Reilly.

    - Meeting by all concerned in WIT tonight, whereby at the very least FG John Cummins and Maurice Cummins were present. Paudie Coffey is away in the North due to uncontrolled circumstances (family related).

    Statements:

    Paudie Coffey:
    Fine Gael Waterford Deputy, Paudie Coffey, has today (Thursday) met with Minister for Health, Dr. James Reilly TD, during which he outlined his position on any proposed reconfiguration that may affect Waterford Regional Hospital. Deputy Coffey has stated that while he accepts the need for hospital reconfiguration in the South East, any reconfiguration that takes place must not diminish Waterford Regional Hospital’s status as a level four category hospital.

    “I want to make it clear that the Minister has informed me that no decision has been made in respect of any reconfiguration. However he does expect an independent report on the matter to come before him within the next two weeks. Minister Reilly was willing to meet with me, listen to my views and take them on board.

    “During my meeting with Minister Reilly, I told him that any diminution of Waterford Regional Hospital’s status as the regional hospital for the South East would be completely unacceptable. On the 3rd of October 2012, I spoke in the Dáil on this matter and highlighted the report from the South East Hospital Working Group. I called for the Minister and for the HSE to consider the proposals in this report.

    “I firmly believe that having the Regional Hospital in the largest urban centre in the South East is absolutely essential and critical for the region. I am working with my colleagues in the Oireachtas on a regional basis on this matter and I believe Waterford’s Regional Hospital’s status should be protected for many reasons.


    1. From a healthcare perspective, a South East hospital reconfiguration would retain acute speciality services for patients in the south east region in a more co-ordinated and strategic way but with WRH as its core. This is in keeping with the 2008 report on reconfiguration for the south east.


    2. 500,000 people live in the South East region, giving the proposed South East Hospital Network the critical mass to remain sustainable and viable.


    3. It is logical from an economic point of view, in terms of employment and for WIT’s application for Technological University Status. There is no doubt that any downgrading of WRH would have a seriously negative impact on the regional economy in the long term.


    “I will continue to work with all of the stakeholders in Waterford Regional Hospital and with my Oireachtas colleagues across the region to ensure that the best possible outcome is delivered for patients in the South East in any proposed reform.”

    John Cummins:
    Just in from a meeting in WIT on the reconfiguration of hospital services in the South East. A very serious meeting involving all stakeholders - political, business, medical, educational etc. It was a very stark meeting on the implications of a possible break up of the South East hospital network.

    It would be a disaster not only for Waterford but also for the whole south east - Wexford, Kilkenny, South Tipperary & Carlow. At present we have the critical mass (500,000) to support all clinical specialaties but fragmentation would mean a loss of services and prevention of other services being devleoped.

    A great deal of work is being done on a politcal level in relation to this and this will continue. The message needs to go out across the region that the region will suffer if break up of services occur, please talk to friends/family etc in SE and make them aware, this is not about Waterford it is about the region!! We will be doing this on a political level also!!

    John


  • Registered Users Posts: 165 ✭✭jad2007


    And none of the TD's could make it to the meeting, IMHO this is the biggest issue facing Waterford. All that merger/ city status is just a agenda driven by councillors scared of losing their jobs.

    No TD.s made the meeting and less than half our councillors. it just shows the caliber of what is representing us.


  • Moderators, Education Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Regional South East Moderators Posts: 24,056 Mod ✭✭✭✭Sully


    Yes Boss wrote: »
    Can you clarify this statement please? The only statement to date from Paudie Coffey (FG) was that Waterford would retain its 'Historic Status'. Now he was either stating facts or it was a 'mistake'. If what he said was fact - Waterford will be a 'Historical City' like Kilkenny and Clonmel and not a City under the Local Government Act 2001 which is the law of the land.

    Sorry only spotting this now. I'm afraid that's playing on Paudies words a bit. My understanding from what Paudie was saying was that our City Status as a whole, would remain intact. He was backing up that statement by referring to our city as a Historical City. Which it is. Its not just any awl City but an Historical City. Its perfectly acceptable to describe Wateford as a Historical City as it currently is and he was not, unless I am mistaken, stating that we would be 'downgraded' to a type of City that Kilkenny is. I'm unaware of any definition for Clonmel in the Local Government Act.

    The Local Government Act 2001 states very clearly the Cities of Ireland and this includes Waterford on its own two feet without any other requirements or 'if' statements. What people are jumping on is that it states further down the makeup of the individual type of councils in Ireland and people are now saying there is nothing there for Waterford. I can remind people that this will be modified to cater for a new type council for Waterford, Limerick, Tipperary and so on. This modification would define this new type of body and give it legal status for 2014. This modification does not effect the original piece of legislation that covers the cities of Ireland and thus the overall City Status remains unchanged.

    It is factually incorrect to state Waterford will no longer be a City or will be a Historical City on the same par as Kilkenny. People are twisting the wording of the legislation and when the above is quoted to them they immediately reply with an unfounded conspiracy that Phil Hogan when updating the Local Government Act will remove Waterford from the overall list of Cities. That's daft and there is nothing to suggest he will. There was never any question in the report done by Fianna Fail or the Fine Gael government that our City Status should be looked at for removal or change in any shape or form.

    Phil Hogan, according to WLR, stated Waterford will remain a City.

    Anyway, I just wanted to clarify what I meant as requested. Your free to continue this discussion in the other threads about the merger but I think this topic should be kept 100% to the implications for Waterford and the South East if what Cullinane says is true!


  • Moderators, Education Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Regional South East Moderators Posts: 24,056 Mod ✭✭✭✭Sully


    jad2007 wrote: »
    And none of the TD's could make it to the meeting, IMHO this is the biggest issue facing Waterford. All that merger/ city status is just a agenda driven by councillors scared of losing their jobs.

    No TD.s made the meeting and less than half our councillors. it just shows the caliber of what is representing us.

    One of our TDs, Paudie Coffey, was away on family matters in the North and was unable to attend. Knowing Paudie over the years, it was never like him to dodge a meeting and considering his colleague Maurice Cummins & John Cummins attended, you can be assured that all three Waterford Fine Gael Reps are very much aware of the implications and very much against them and will fight tooth and nail for us as they have been doing to-date.

    From John Cummins himself;
    FG Waterford will be meeting Saturday & we will be organising a meeting of all FG local councillors in the SE at which the consultants and the SE hospital group will present the facts and we will try win support at that level, oireachtas members will do likewise and I am sure Labour will do the same. I will also be seeking the agreement of the Director and Chairman of the SE regional authoritytomorrow to allow the presentation which we received tonight to be delivered at the next meeting of the authority which is Monday 24th November - this is important as all political groupings from the 5 counties sit on this authority!

    A lot goes on behind the scenes. Just because transcripts of meetings are not released and because Paudie isn't shouting in the media or in the Dail doesn't mean pressure isn't being applied and representations are not going our way.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,362 ✭✭✭Trotter


    Honest question.. Where's John Deasy? I haven't heard any sort of reaction to the well publicised issues over the past months.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,126 ✭✭✭Psychedelic


    Cllr Mary Roche wrote a good summary of last night's meeting:
    http://cllrmaryroche.blogspot.ie/2012/11/notes-from-wrh-meeting-tonight-11112.html
    Meeting opened by Mr Gordon Watson - expressed disappointment at no-show from all four Waterford TD's. He outlined SE region almost completely self sufficient. Only cardio thoracic and brain surgery referred out of region. WRH very large hospital - bigger than St. Vincent's or Mater or Tallaght hospitals! Cork/Dublin already overcrowded.

    All SE hospitals j...ust 40/50 mins apart. If SE region broken there will be less than 500k population - not enough critical mass to justify regional services like cancer centre etc. Job and service losses will ensue even if that's not the immediate intent.

    Proposal is for a unified management board for all SE hospitals required to deliver even better services as the South East Hospitals network.

    Reconfigurations cost money. WRH is a teaching hospital of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and hassle memorandum of understanding signed between WIT, RCSI & WRH. V important.

    With Coronary treatment - time is crucial. Coronary angioplasty is the optimum treatment provided by cath labs. For best result it needs to occur within 90 mins of heart attack . 90% success rate. National plan says this should be in Waterford 24/7 but it currently operates only 9-5 Mon/Fri! Don't have heart attack outside those times!!! Serious doubts about extension to 24 hr service if region gone and/or competing with Dublin or Cork for resources.

    WRH already produces a lot despite historical under resourcing! Prof John Higgins appointed as Chairman of newly appointed Hospitals Restructuring board in June. Board only met for first time in October!! Higgins did his own work in interim with no board imperative! It's his report that is causing all the concern as it has been leaked that it proposes the break up of the SE region.

    WRH cancer centre has been commended by HIQA. Why abandon and ignore existing resources in time of economic difficulty?

    Memorandum of understanding has been signed between WIT & RCSI. SE population will lose out on healthcare. Decision not yet made. Higgins report due on ministers desk shortly and then to cabinet perhaps before Christmas. Without SE region kilcreene will go. Dr Rob Landers Clinical Director of WRH stated that - if Prof Higgins report is enacted it will be a disaster for SE! Must do everything possible to prevent it.

    Senators David Cullinane & Maurice Cummins in attendance. South Tipperary giving full support to WRH proposal. Can't say same true for Carlow/Kilkenny on basis of the say of just 1 or 2 or 3 senior consultants in one hospital in Kilkenny (St. Lukes). Without them - Carlow Kilkenny - the region is weakened and vulnerable to predation. Huge majority of consultants in SE in favour of WRH proposal. Tipp & Wexford on side. Issue in Kilkenny. Doctors in Kilkenny met WRH consultants last night. Support there. Simon Cross - vascular surgeon stated when 'vine withers' they'll be told to move to Cork. Far worse outcomes for SE population. That'll be first thing to go. With 3 vascular surgeons must have minimum 500k population.

    Take home pay of hospital workers in city €140m into local economy. Why dismantle something that's functioning very well?

    Rob landers - clinical director for cancer care in SE said definitively if this goes ahead and region broken up cancer care will be decimated and cancer care unit will be shut down.

    Sen Maurice Cummins spoke - first heard rumours last thurs in Leinster Hs! Contacted Minister Reilly & met him on Wednesday (yesterday). Also met with Waterford & Wexford consultants and TD Paul kehoe in New Ross last Monday. At meeting with Minister yesterday - he (the Minister) gave no commitments. He expects to have draft proposal on 7th and final report on 15th November! Strong possibility decision made before Xmas!!!

    Kilkenny has not signed up to SE doc - despite some consultants in KK supporting it. Susan o Reilly (?) head of cancer care in Ireland is very against break up of region. Link to RCSI cannot be over emphasised and with WIT.

    HSE South management position is to maintain SE region - he believes. More need for reconfiguration in Dublin than in regions. Senator Cummins & Deputy Conway meeting Min Howlin in Wexford tomorrow. Wexford being promised things from Dublin (?). Kilkenny - one consultant is leading breakaway (probably unbeknownst to general population)! Need to tie down Wexford. Need to convince Kilkenny. Last parish in north of KK closer to Waterford than Dublin! Workers need to lobby politicians. KK GPs had been misled. (end of Senator Cummins contribution which I thought was excellent and left room to hope!?)

    Gordon Watson - we need to get message out to south east through politicians and everyone else. Cllr Tom Cunningham - concerned everything based on cross of Dublin Cork Galway & Belfast....?!?!?!?!? (Total opposite of what he argued at amalgamation debate.)

    Claire Mahony National President of Nursing & Midwifery - huge cuts coming. Applaud surgeons on stepping out on this issue - need to convince citizens.

    Dr Tom Higgins if we want to keep together we need to woo colleagues in Kilkenny Carlow. Plus Wexford are iffy.

    Henry Maloney - what we have we must hold. Does average person know what's happening? No. Need to get unions on board. Badger the politicians.

    Prof McWade from RCSI - WRH is a dedicated teaching hospital.

    Daragh Brennan a GP in Waterford - need to convince GPs in region - we need to talk to them. RCSI/WIT link very important - depth of links need to be known. WRH needs to articulate what's good about hospital also not just risks.

    Donie Ormond- if we lose this battle WRH will revert back to a general hospital.

    Rena Mulcahy - these meetings need to be replicated in Wexford and KK Carlow. Change name of Waterford reg hospital to SE reg hospital? Calling for action. Wider steering group. Lobby local & national & regional reps. Get word out on street. Let's work together as a region to drive SE agenda to save the level of services we have.

    Fred Jackson - St Luke's appear to be fearful that their acute services could be gobbled up - Waterford couldn't accommodate their work. Anyway how can they guarantee they'd survive in Dublin link? Need to reassure St Lukes that WRH has no designs on downgrading KK or Wex hospitals.

    Three critical messages - Gordon Watson: (1) call on ppl of SE and let them know what they'll lose. (2) Get wider representation to lobby/steer and (3) We are an academic institution.


  • Registered Users Posts: 9,472 ✭✭✭AdMMM


    From John Halligans Facebook this morning:
    Regarding last night’s meeting at Waterford Regional Hospital, I was addressing another meeting in the county on Thursday evening when I fell ill and was forced to return home. I did send my regrets and apologies via Cllr Sean Reinhardt, who also rang me early this morning and gave me a full briefing on all the information that was raised.
    For the record, I had met with several staff members from Waterford Regional Hospital in the past week who had made me aware of all the information to be presented at the meeting last night. Following those meetings, I subsequently arranged speaking time in the Dail for next week to have the issue raised and discussed. A specific concern which I have brought to Dr James Reilly’s attention is that, within the present economic circumstances, other centres will not have the capacity to absorb the needs of the south east population, though the population of 500,000 within reach of the existing regional resources is enough to justify a regional service in virtually every specialty.
    Since my election, I have consistently highlighted the shortcomings in the provision of care at Waterford Regional. A large section of the population in the south east already does not have access to appropriate and timely care and it is not just Waterford but the entire south east region that is yet again losing out.
    Last night’s meeting was wholly worthwhile in keeping people aware of what is being proposed at Waterford Regional but my absence was regrettably unavoidable. Regardless, I can assure people that I have been actively working on this issue for some time, including highlighting it on every level in the Dail.
    However, I must also make the point that I am an Opposition TD.
    I am not trying to score political points here and detract from the very serious situation at Waterford Regional. However while I can, consistently do, and will continue to highlight and challenge the decisions made by the Government in relation to Waterford, the people who can actually make a difference regarding these decisions in the Waterford constituency are Paudie Coffey, John Deasy and Ciara Conway.
    A couple of weeks ago I contacted all three and asked them to put aside all our political differences and meet to examine the full implications of the merger of Waterford City and County councils and to come up with a cogent strategy to address the countless problems facing Waterford, specifically unemployment and the pending changes at Waterford Regional Hospital. To date, I have only received a reply from Paudie Coffey, which I must add was a very worthwhile and positive response from Deputy Coffey and I am optimistic that at least two of us can work together for the good of Waterford.
    The WRH issue is not going to go away and I truly believe the politicians of Waterford, not only the TDs but all our elected representatives, need to work in unison on this.

    I'm not involved in politics in Waterford anymore but do think it's a positive step that John is trying to work with the rest of TD's on issues of local interest. It would be very easy for him to take potshots from afar but it makes sense to try cooperate where everyone's goal is the same.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,407 ✭✭✭Baby4


    This post has been deleted.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 9,472 ✭✭✭AdMMM


    Baby4 wrote: »
    This post has been deleted.
    While emails may be a vessel to let off some steam, they won't actually make any difference whatsoever. Waterford has been too quiet for too long. Waterford people have been fed a "behave yourselves and good things will come to those who wait" message over the years but it's about time that Waterford questions whether sitting down quietly is the best approach.


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