If I was one of the ruthless, calculating spin doctors in the Health Service Executive (HSE), waiting for the most opportune moment to release a highly critical report (6th item), I would pick a day when everybody was focused on a major political story.
Category: Health/HSE
The bad news and the bad bad news
Most of the news coming out of the Health Service Executive (HSE) is depressing and frightening but a story in the Sunday Independent brought some cheer.
Apparently, staff in the IT sector of the HSE thought it would be a good idea to introduce a news ticker system on their site which flashes up any news stories on their internet home page.
Unfortunately, all the stories are bad news stories and morale is suffering as a result. Here’s some responses from HSE staff.
“It’s set up so you get articles from the last four days, they just pop up on the home page, but all they say is that basically the HSE is crap.”
“They’re depressing all our staff. It was supposed to be a helpful, good news idea, but that’s become an oxymoron.”
“It just means that every day you log on, your first 20 minutes is dedicated to catching up with how totally and utterly crap your employer is.”
“Any time anyone says anything about the HSE it’s usually that it’s a load of bollocks. But someone has decided that it should helpfully pop up on our home page.”
The HSE is a ‘load of bollocks’ – Crude, but true
HSE monster rampages on
Good to see that the Irish Medical Organisation agrees with the opinion of this website that the Health Service Executive (HSE) is “an administrative monster that is unaccountable to the taxpayer.” (Six One News, 10th item).
The use of facts and statistics to make a point usually causes the eyes to glaze over but these figures, I think, will astonish and shock.
This Week (4th item) – 23rd March.
Since the HSE took over from the old health boards administration and management costs have risen from €492 million in 2005 to €587 million in 2007.
The number of administration and management staff in the HSE at the end of September 2007 was 18,421 compared to just over 16,000 in a similar category at the end of 2004.
In 2000 there were six grade 8 people in the Department of Health – Today, there are 714. (Grade 8 is a high level, high pay position).
In 2002, (An election year) 26,000 new public positions were created, many of them in the HSE.
There are now administrative and management staff for every 2.5 doctor and nurse in the HSE.
News at One (7th item) – 26th March.
150 extra grade ‘A’ jobs were created last year when only 50 were sanctioned. Meanwhile, cutbacks have seen 400 people on trolleys, a 10% increase in waiting time for a wide range of surgery, withdrawal of home help for children and the elderly.
The HSE has only managed to stay within overall budget by diverting development and capital monies away from key government priorities intended to address the needs of an ageing and expanding population.
The truth – In chilling words
We know by now that corruption, incompetence, hypocrisy and cowardice are endemic among those who mismanage this country so the reaction of Minister for Health Mary Harney to the latest cancer scandal is to be expected. It is, however, worth putting her weasel words on record.
We had the usual waffle from her last Wednesday (News at One, 1st item) when the reports were published.
“The issue was always to ensure the patients came first…(yet another) apology to the victims…we must learn the lessons…must ensure it doesn’t happen again…what’s important now is the future…the media caused untold anxiety.”
Her solutions were nothing short of revolutionary –
We’ve got to have somebody in charge at a national level…very basic management tools have now got to be put in place.
She strongly rejected that suggestion that the HSE had become a monster that she and her colleagues had created. Given the level of her incompetence it’s difficult to tell whether she believes that the eleven old health boards were actually abolished and replaced with the HSE (See here for what really happened).
Everybody in the real world knows that the eleven health boards are still there, still fully staffed, still sucking countless millions out of the health system. Everybody knows that the creation of the HSE, the twelfth health board, was the moment the health system went out of control, the moment when the bureaucrats took over, the moment when the system became more important than the patients, the moment when it began to kill people.
In words that were never meant to be publicly aired, Harney told the truth to Rebecca O’Malley, a woman who was nearly killed by the system (Nine News, 1st item, 2nd report).
“You do know, don’t you; that it isn’t safe to go into any of our hospitals.”
HSE Leprechauns
How’s this for a great piece of Leprechaun logic?
The Health Service Executive (HSE) is closing down a home for homeless pregnant women so that the women can be looked after in their own homes.
Yes, that’s correct – The HSE is going to look after homeless pregnant women in their own homes.
Somebody from the home was supposed to discuss the matter on Liveline today but, apparently, the ruthless bureaucrats in the HSE got to them first and imposed a news blackout.
Sinn Fein Councillor Christy Burke, who recently seconded a motion at a Dublin City Council meeting calling for the abolition of the HSE, suspects that the HSE is planning to sell the home.
He’s probably right; the property is located on Eglington Road in Donnybrook, which according to Joe Duffy, is the second most expensive piece of real estate in the country after Ailsbury Road.
So, out with these homeless women, the HSE Leprechauns want to dig for their crock of gold.
HSE bureaucrats should be locked up
I wrote recently that the Health Executive Service (HSE) was a diseased, out of control monster created by and strongly defended by cowardly and incompetent politicians. My analysis has been confirmed by the incredible events of recent days.
A democratically elected public representative has been banned from entering a hospital by an anonymous HSE manager and that same organisation has launched a campaign, with the full support of cowardly politicians, to silence a media outlet that dares to question its activities.
Labour TD Joe Costello is an extremely rare creature, an Irish politician who actually possesses and acts on conviction. Every Saturday for the last four years he and a group of supporters have maintained a presence outside the Mater Hospital in Dublin in protest over the Third World conditions in the A & E Department (Drivetime, 7th item).
As part of his protest Deputy Costello visits the staff and patients of the A & E Department to monitor and inform himself on the situation. This is a perfectly legitimate and necessary activity in a functional democracy but last week Deputy Costello was officially barred from entering the hospital.
This is an extremely serious situation – a lawfully elected public representative has been barred from associating with a group of citizens by a faceless and unaccountable bureaucrat.
In addition to preventing elected representatives from serving the people the HSE has also become involved in attempts to control the media and, incredibly, telling politicians what media outlet they can or cannot speak on.
The HSE has threatened to withdraw advertising from Newstalk 106 because of the station’s policy of ringing the HSE directly to address what the station describes as “horror stories from victims of health service mismanagement, contempt and incompetence.”(Irish Examiner).
A spokesperson for the HSE said:
“In light of staff members being intimidated, bullied and humiliated by Newstalk live on air we are withdrawing co-operation by not providing ministers, press releases and advertising. We believe this is all down to ratings.”
‘We are not providing ministers’??? The bureaucrats in the HSE have decided that they have the power to control the actions of politicians.
‘We believe this is all down to ratings.’??? Since when did faceless bureaucrats, allegedly in charge of health, give themselves the power to sit in judgement on the activities of media outlets?
In reality, their arrogant confidence is justified. It seems that Government ministers are only too happy to allow these faceless and arrogant bureaucrats to trample all over the most basic principles of a functional democracy. The undemocratic imposition of draconian restrictions on free speech means that these cowardly politicians don’t have to answer questions themselves.
While Deputy Costello’s actions deserve the highest praise his handling of the matter requires some comment. He was approached by an unidentified and hostile woman who told him he shouldn’t be in the hospital. He didn’t demand identification and quietly left the hospital.
Apparently, this woman was head of operations at the hospital or represented that office. He has said he intends continuing his protest and has written to head of HSE, Prof. Drumm, expressing his disappointment with the attitude of head of operations at the hospital.
Here’s what should have happened. Deputy Costello should have demanded that this hostile woman identify herself. He should have refused to leave the hospital until he was good and ready.
He should have informed this hostile bureaucrat that as an elected representative of the people he far outranks any official or public servant.
He should not be timidly writing to Prof. Drumm expressing disappointment, he should be writing in passionate anger outlining to the Prof. his plans for dramatically stepping up his campaign outside the hospital.
In effect, the Irish health service has been taken over by unaccountable arrogant and grossly overpaid bureaucrats and public relations companies. Politicians have lost control; they are literally standing outside hospitals waiting for permission to enter.
This grotesque and bizarre state of affairs is bordering on how things are done in Zimbabwe and is resulting in massive suffering for Irish people, in some case even death.
It is long past time that these people were taken out and if necessary put in handcuffs.
Copy to:
All political parties
HSE
Newstalk 106
Joe Costello TD
Mary Harney
Prof. Drumm
The poor should be worried
Letter published in the Irish Times 19th February – The Harneyisation of Irish health continues.
Madam,
GPs have received a letter from the consultants and nursing staff of the emergency department at Beaumont Hospital. The letter states:
“The [ emergency] department is in urgent need of an ultrasound machine which is required to speedily assess internal organ damage resulting from traffic accidents and knife trauma wounds.” And with commendable forbearance the letter observes: “It would be reasonable to assume that the machine would be a standard piece of A&E equipment.”
However, it appears there is no money for it. So the A&E staff are going on to the streets to beg for the money – €24,000 – to buy the machine. They hope to raise it through a golf classic or, for non-golfers, by a one-off donation of €100.
This is a scandal. A scandal for Bertie Ahern. A scandal for Mary Harney. A scandal for the HSE. A scandal for the Government. A scandal for the limp Opposition. And a scandal for the local politicians. Here is a major trauma centre in a national hospital having to get down on its knees to beg for basic equipment.
The poor should be worried. And so, may I say, should the rich. If you have a knife stuck between your shoulder-blades, it is no time to go flashing your Plan E card at the Gullawntha Medical Clinic with the oak tree in the atrium and three ladies playing the harp. You will be redirected to the public hospital and advised to have a nice day.
Repeatedly, general practitioners hear praise from patients for the staff at Beaumont A&E. They comment on the courtesy and care of the doctors, nurses and ancillary staff. And this in spite of the squalor and overcrowding provided by the Government.
The Harneyisation of the Irish medical scene is becoming more and more vivid. Wealth is further swelling the wallets of the wealthy. Mary Harney’s relocation system means that millions upon millions of euro are being relocated from the taxpayers’ pocket into the insatiable pockets of the earnestly rich.
Her plan is clear.The poor will please keep left and know their place. The richly insured will please head for the (very far) right.
Would Ms Harney please write a cheque today for €24,000 for that ultrasound machine in Beaumont? If she has difficulty in getting that sum together she might perhaps consult her friends who have special talents in the art of subtle acquisition.
Yours, etc,
Dr CYRIL DALY,
Howth Road, Killester, Dublin 5.
Embarrassed to be Irish
On the same news broadcast (3rd item) that Bertie Ahern informed the nation that he was proud for himself and Ireland to be asked to address a joint sitting of the US Congress a mother of an autistic child angrily said that she was embarrassed to be Irish (7th item).
Embarrassed and I would add confused because this woman was referring to the surreal world of Irish politics where a school for autistic children has remained idle for a year because the Health Service Executive has refused to provide the necessary staff.
The Minister for Education, Mary Hanafin, instead of doing her job by putting pressure on the HSE to provide staff has blamed the school for not going ahead and opening anyway.
Nothing to do with the HSE, nothing to do with the Minister – it’s the school’s fault.
Letter from an angry doctor
Letter from an angry doctor in today’s Irish Times.
HSE’S HOSPITAL HYGIENE CAMPAIGN
Madam,
I recently had the misfortune to see the latest HSE hospital hygiene TV advertisement. This features a patient asking a doctor if he has washed his hands – a question that apparently needed to be asked as the medic in question had failed to do so.
This campaign is a disgrace. Not only does it casually insult every health care professional in the State, it also manages completely to avoid the real cause of the spread of infectious diseases – chronic hospital overcrowding. Needless to say, the patient in the advertisement was not shown lying on a trolley on a hospital corridor without any sinks.
If the HSE were serious about this issue, it could spend its money on creating extra isolation beds, appointing additional microbiologists and perhaps screening staff for MRSA.
Instead, it pays for expensive advertising campaigns in a pathetic attempt to deflect attention from its abysmal failure to run a clean and efficient health service.
However, I strongly suspect that these advertisements have nothing to do with hospital hygiene. To me they appear to be little more than blatant anti-medical propaganda designed to undermine the profession in the eyes of patients. Such cowardly and sinister tactics are worthy of a Stalinist regime.
Patients are being exposed to life-threatening illness in our hospitals. The blame for this rests entirely with our Minister and her incompetent administrators. No amount of slick propaganda will ever change this fact.
Yours, etc,
Dr RUAIRI HANLEY, Francis Street, Drogheda, Co Louth.
Cystic Fibrosis update
Godfrey Fletcher of the Cystic Fibrosis Association of Ireland provided an update regarding the provision of emergency isolation units for CF suffers (Liveline, 8th Feb).
The organisation hopes to present proposals for a ten bed temporary portacabin to St. Vincent’s hospital in about two weeks. Plans are also in the pipeline for a ten bed unit in Beaumont hospital and another ten bed unit in Galway.
The HSE has committed to six single on suite bed units and are considering another 17. Mr. Fletcher warns, however, that the HSE has not confirmed that all these units will be ring fenced for CF patients.
Jennifer Tormey, one of the young CF patients who first brought their disgraceful plight to public attention said she would believe it when she saw action rather than words. Nobody can blame her untrusting attitude after years of broken promises by the HSE. She is also mourning the death of a close friend, 15 year old Ian Riley, who died last week from CF.
The letter below was taken from the Liveline website and speaks for itself.
Bernadette spoke to us on Tuesday 15th January 2008. Below is a transcript of the email she originally sent to Liveline.
Dear Joe,
First and foremost I want to thank you so much for the coverage you have given CF patients over the last few days. Unfortunately, after years of listening to the same thing over and over again, I have absolutely no faith in the HSE or in Mary Harney and am not holding out any hope that anything will be done.
I am 24 years old and have cystic fibrosis. I am currently an inpatient in St Vincent’s Hospital in Dublin for a severe chest infection. I have been here since the 2 January and there has been no significant improvement in my condition. I have been informed that my disease is progressing and I won’t be able to regain the level of health that I had 6-12 months ago.
Transplant has also been put on the agenda. I can’t put into words how absolutely devastated I am-as a CF patient you make the best of everything and try to ignore the statistics that are staring you in the face, but when it is spelled out for you it is truly awful. Every day is a massive effort now as I struggle to fight and maintain the exhaustive regime of treatment I must undergo which involves oral, nebulised and intravenous antibiotics, physiotherapy, nutritional supplements (and possibly having a feeding tube inserted) and oxygen.
The constant stream of anger and indignation in the media must start to sound confusing to the everyday person as there is such a massive web of problems for us within the services and facilities we are offered. However I just wanted to add my piece and get it off my chest. Here are a few points that I feel are important.
En-suite rooms are NOT A LUXURY, they are a basic need.
Firstly, as has been pointed out lots of times in the last few days, going into the current mixed and cramped conditions in Vincent’s is extremely dangerous for CF patients. We are at a low with infection and are open to any bugs flying around. These bugs can spiral out of control and could kill us. That is a fact. It is not as if we are looking for some kind of luxury-we are just looking for the basic and necessary treatment for cystic fibrosis which is recognised as international best practice. We NEED isolation units with en-suites and we need them now.
Intensely depressing scenario regarding conditions
It is hard to describe how truly soul destroying it is to be put in a ward with 5 patients who are elderly and often senile and incontinent. I make a concerted effort each day to be strong and positive and to fight my illness, but just imagine trying to maintain this frame of mind when you are stuck in your bed because of o2xygen dependency while all around people are calling out for people who aren’t there, and are regularly soiling their beds or using a bedpan, making the smell in the ward unbearable. It is so horribly depressing.
May I also point out that the ward is where the meals are served. Would you eat your dinner in a public toilet? Because that is basically what I am expected to do EVERY DAY. Sometimes all I want is a bit of peace and quiet and maybe to curl up in a comfortable place on my own. Even this simple desire is not possible in here. Each time someone dies in your room you are forcibly confronted with the reality that someday this could be you. What did I do to deserve this? Do I not have the right to be protected from this?
Mary Harney’s private hospital “solution” and staffing levels.
Although all the coverage has been about the lack of facilities, it is important to note that the staffing levels are also dangerously inadequate. If you refer to the report on CF services in Ireland conducted by Dr. Ron Pollock this is stated quite clearly. However whenever the issue of cystic fibrosis is raised with Mary Harney, she tells of how funding has been allocated for new staff. While some funding has been allocated and there are now two consultants in St Vincent’s, all the consultants in the world won’t be able to get me a bed when I need it if it is not available, and they can’t magic isolation units out of thin air. If the problem is to be tackled extra staff alone will not alleviate our situation.
Also Mary Harney’s idea of freeing up public beds by building private hospitals does not help CF patients at all. While it MAY mean a shorter stay in A&E, which, I might add, is a ridiculously dangerous situation, it does not address the issue of single isolated room with en-suite, which are VITAL. I want some answers. Why is this allowed to continue? Would Mary Harney like to step into my shoes for a day? I don’t think so.
As I write this, my 6 bed room has finally quietened down, but I’m sure that I can look forward to some noise later on. Here’s hoping for a good nights sleep.
I also want to say that despite all of this mess, the CF team and the staff of St Vincent’s hospital are nothing short of amazing, and I feel so lucky to have them looking after me. I couldn’t ask for any better, each and every one of them is just fantastic.
Yours Sincerely,
Bernadette
Story from RTÉ Radio 1:
http://www.rte.ie/radio1/liveline/1182265.html