Commenting on the leaked memo from the HSE over job cuts, Sinn Féin councillor, Thérèse Ruane says that front-line job cuts will cause chaos in the public health services and that “savage health cuts cannot be dressed up as reform”.
While Cllr Ruane welcomes the transfer of staff from administrative duties to community health services, she said this should not be used as a smokescreen to hide the effects of cuts on front-line care.
Cllr Ruane said: “This HSE memo demands cuts of hundreds of front-line jobs in our public health services which include 700 nurses. This is yet another in a series of blows to our public health services. The Government has already directed the HSE not to renew any temporary contracts when they expire, not to fill posts that fall vacant due to retirement and not to fill posts that fall vacant due to resignation/career breaks/early retirement scheme.
“Over 14,000 staff throughout the health services are on temporary contracts; this will have a massive effect on patient care. What we’re looking at here is longer hospital waiting lists and worsening queues for A&E. A recent HSE report has shown that Castlebar General Hospital already fares very poorly regarding waiting lists; these further cuts revealed in the HSE memo will add to the chaos.”
The Castlebar town councillor continued: “When you compare this to the guarantees given to hospital consultants by the Minister it is incomprehensible. For a €250,000 per annum contract, consultants will work a 33-hour week in the public system and still work up to 25 per cent of that time in private practice.
“Savage health cuts cannot be dressed up as reform. Successive Fianna Fáil led governments refused over the past 12 years during the Celtic tiger to bring in real health reform and to build a fair, efficient, and sustainable public health system. These savage health cuts will further decimate our public health system under the guise of reform. This is indefensible.”
