A former head of the HSE is warning next year’s healthcare budget is not enough.
Tony O’Brien, who stepped down from the HSE in 2018, says Budget 2024 is the most destructive for the health service in a decade.
At least 4-thousand seriously ill patients won’t be able to access potentially life-saving medicines next year, according to the Irish Times.
Former Director General of the HSE, Tony O’Brien, says more funding is needed……………….
The comments come just two days after consultants at Letterkenny University Hospital wrote to the Health Minister expressing serious concern about the operation of the Emergency Department and it’s impact on patient outcomes.
The consultants add that the condition of the hospital’s services, many of which are under extreme pressure, has been repeatedly brought to the attention of local hospital management, Saolta Group, Department of Health and various Ministers over the last number of years.
On today’s Nine til Noon Show, Consultant Surgeon Michael Sugrue highlighted the fact that while Letterkenny is the country’s sixth busiest in terms of inpatient numbers, it’s ranked 14th in terms of funding, with Sligo getting nearly twice as much per patient.
Mr Sugrue said it’s difficult to do this publicly, but the consultants feel they have no choice………
In a statement today, the Saolta Hospital group says Emergency Department attendances are up 10% year on year, and they are working to progress an extension to the facility. Extra medical and nursing staff are also coming onstream.
The statement acknowledges the concerns of the 11 consultants, and adds that 91 new beds will be required at Letterkenny University Hospital by 2030
However, Consultant Anaesthesiologist Dr Louise Moran says the extra beds are needed now, not in seven or eight years time………..
