Further bed closures have not been ruled out at Our Lady's Hospital for Children in Crumlin.
The Irish Nurses Organisation (INO) met with the Director of Nursing at the hospital today to discuss health service cut backs and sought assurances that no further ward closures would be necessary. However, these assurances were not given, according to the INO.
Instead, they were told additional funds for new and specialty services such as genetics and haematology/ oncology services had been secured from the Eastern Regional Health Authority (ERHA), but no other funding was increased. To date one 25-bedded surgical ward has closed, and nursing staff have been re-deployed elsewhere in the hospital.
Waiting lists will lengthen directly as a result of the ward that has already closed said Ma Phil Ní Sheaghdha of the INO adding that the cutbacks will "directly impact on the most vulnerable of our society".
"This is very worrying considering the specialiaed services provided by Our Lady's Hospital. It is the main specialist area for the majority of paediatric procedures in the country. Indeed some cases are already referred outside of Ireland," she said.
The INO had earlier reacted angrily to the news that there are to be 164 job cuts in the Mater Hospital in Dublin. They said while "nursing posts are not on the hit list at this time", It "deplores" this "savage attack on front line services at a time when patient need is greatest". The statement added the announcement of the job losses "compounds the closure of 84 beds absorbed by our members in recent weeks".
The hospital's chief executive, Mr Martin Cowley, told staff in an internal memo yesterday that the jobs in the Mater will have to go to comply with a "staff ceiling" imposed by the Eastern Regional Health Authority (ERHA).
A spokesman for the Mater Hospital moved to dismiss reports, which circulated last night that the Mater had made unapproved appointments. He also confirmed again there will be "no termination or breaking of existing contracts with Mater staff". He said the "big issue" facing the hospital was that of "patient services".
He said that although the news of the cuts hadn't been expected by the hospital, it was working with Eastern Regional Health Authority (ERHA) on the matter.