Health « Thurles Information

HSE Figures Highlight Chronic Underinvestment In Mid West.

Only 7 WTE (Fulltime /Whole-time Equivalent) healthcare professional positions in Acute Services were created at University Hospital Limerick (UHL) during 2022, despite UHL being the most overcrowded hospital in the country last year.

Figures released by the HSE in response to a Parliamentary Question by Independent Clare TD Mr Michael McNamara show that 61 or 2.3% of the 2,645 WTE acute services positions, created last year in Irish hospitals, were located in hospitals within the UL Hospital Group.
This compared with the creation of 579 WTE positions in Saolta University Hospital Care (21.9% of the national figure), 547 in the South/South West Hospital Group (20.7%), 498 in the RCSI Hospitals Group (18.8%), 459 in the Ireland East Hospital Group (17.4%), 418 in the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group (15.8%) and 77 in Children’s Health Ireland (2.9%).

The figures also show that University Maternity Hospital Limerick was one of only five hospitals across the country, to experience a reduction in staff numbers in Acute Services, with 265 WTE health professionals employed at the facility in December 2022, compared to 274 in December 2021.
The other hospitals experiencing a reduction in overall staff numbers were Coombe Women & Infants University (-20), St. Michael’s Dublin (-10), CHI at Temple Street (-6) and CHI at Connolly (-1).

The report is broken down by hospital and staff categories, namely Medical & Dental, Nursing & Midwifery and Health & Social Care professionals, including physiologists. The HSE states that an additional 666 and 38 W.T.E positions were created in Community Services and Health & Wellbeing services respectively during 2022.

Deputy McNamara, who will be raising the matter with Taoiseach Mr Leo Varadkar, during Leader’s Questions tomorrow (Tuesday), said the figures are contrary to repeated claims by Health Minister Mr Stephen Donnelly about investments in resources within the UL Hospital Group.

“UHL has been the most overcrowded hospital in the country for the past seven years, with a record 18,028 patients waiting on trolleys and on wards in 2022,” stated Deputy McNamara.

Deputy McNamara continued, “This time last year, we discovered that none of the six hospitals in the UL Hospitals Group would receive any of the 411 acute and 36 ICU beds scheduled to open across Ireland in 2022. Now we discover that the increase in the healthcare workforce in Acute Services in the Mid-West falls far behind the increases seen in other regions across the country. The picture painted by these figures suggests a chronic underinvestment in hospitals across this region and therefore, there should be no surprise as to why waiting lists and trolley numbers here remain consistently higher than other parts of the country.”

Deputy McNamara added, “Minister Donnelly told me in the Dáil last week that 2023 will be the fourth year of record recruitment into the HSE, since the foundation of the HSE, which will ring hollow for the people of North Tipperary, Clare, and Limerick, who will look at these figures and see that the UL Hospital Group has benefited little. The Minister also told me in the Dáil last week that 1,000 extra staff now work in UHL compared with three years ago. I have submitted a Parliamentary Question to Minister Donnelly in respect of a breakdown of these positions and I await his response.”

Customers Of TK Maxx Or Homesense Requested To Return Faulty Electrical Product.

According to the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC Ireland’s consumer watchdog) a recall alert is in place for an Aroma Home Plug-In Salt Lamp Night Light purchased from TK Maxx or Homesense stores.

It is estimated that some 216 dangerous products were sold at TK Maxx and Homesense, here in the Republic of Ireland, between December 2022 and January 2023.

The affected batch numbers listed refer to 700540, 700545, 700549 and 700552.

The danger with the night light plugs has arisen because moisture from the salt lamp can drip onto metal plug components, which in turn can lead to fire or possible electrocution.

Customers are requested to stop using the product, with immediate effect, and return the dodgy manufactured product to any TK Maxx or Homesense store, to obtain a full refund.

Further queries in relation to this recall, should be directed by email to TK Maxx at customerservice@tjxeurope.com or Tel: 01-2476126.

Allergy Alert Notification

Incorrectly Declared Allergens In Harvest Morn Protein Bars.

According to an Allergy Alert Notification, published by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, (FSAI), dated Friday January 27th last; Gluten, Peanuts, Soybeans and Milk have been incorrectly declared in Harvest Morn Protein Bars.

The FSAI warn that in all batches and best before dates of Harvest Morn Protein Bars, allergens may not be emphasised on the label. This may make the products unsafe for consumers who are allergic to or intolerant of cereals containing gluten (barley), peanuts, soybeans, and milk.
The implicated bars were sold in Aldi stores.

See details of all the recalled product ranges shown above or View HERE.

Recall Of Batches Of Raw Chicken Products

Irish Food Safety Authority recall batches of various raw chicken products; country of origin Ireland, due to the presence of Salmonella Typhimurium.

To view exact batch Code: Please see tables published hereunder.

Western Brand is recalling expired batches of raw chicken products, listed hereunder, due to the detection of Salmonella Typhimurium. These products were sold as fresh and are past their use-by date, however, the labels state they are suitable for home freezing. Recall notices at retail stores will be displayed at point-of-sale.

Nature Of Danger:

People infected with Salmonella typically develop symptoms between 12 and 36 hours after infection, but this can range between 6 and 72 hours. The most common symptom is diarrhoea, which can sometimes be bloody. Other symptoms may include fever, headache and abdominal cramps. The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days. Diarrhoea can occasionally be severe enough to require hospital admission. The elderly, infants, and those with impaired immune systems are more likely to have a severe illness.

Consumers are advised not to eat the affected batches, should they have consigned them to their freezers.

Mid-West Hospital Campaign – 11,000 Protesters March On Limerick Streets Today.

“Front-line workers are working under immense pressure, under immense strain and they are extremely courageous. The least we can do is give them the tools, the training and the environments in which they can do that work at the safest possible level”.

Above quote from the lips of Dr Mike Ryan, latter current Executive Director Health Emergencies Programme, World Health Organization (WHO).

For years, University Hospital Limerick has been the most overcrowded hospital in our Irish Republic, with a record of 18,028 patients waiting on trolleys and on trolleys in wards, during 2022, according to reliable figures provided by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO), based on their 5-day trolley and ward count.

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes – Who shall keep the keepers themselves?

As our elected Tipperary politicians decorate their social media pages; each attempting to associate themselves with greatness, based on the recent personal hard work and well deserved successes of other individuals; e.g. Winners of American Golden Globe Awards, GAA match parish triumphs & Irish BT Young Scientist & Technology award winners; University Hospital Limerick (UHL) and Nenagh Hospital, both medical facilities serving North Tipperary, have during their tenure as TD’s, been left unrepresented; disrespected; ignored and totally neglected.

One would have believed that same of our politicians, if fully awake, would have seen the writing on the wall, when on April 21st last 2022, all records were broken when 126 patients waited on trolleys; the highest ever daily figure since 2006.

In the last 14 days we have listened and read press releases from our politicians, (written by those with lesser authority than themselves), criticizing HSE officials and staff with regards over-crowding conditions at our hospitals.

Do you hear the people sing?

“Do you hear the people sing? Singing a song of angry men?
It is the music of a people who will not be slaves again!”

[Extract from song written by Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel, “Do you hear the people sing?” – Les Miserables]

Meanwhile, a protest held in Limerick city today, organised by the Mid-West Hospital Campaign, together with Friends of Ennis Hospital and groups representing Nenagh Hospital, saw some 11,000 people take to the streets of the city.

Two separate, one minute silences, were observed during the protest; one for to remember the 126 people who were left waiting on trolleys last April, same the highest daily figure ever recorded at the UHL facility; the second in memory of a Co. Clare teenager, Ms Aoife Johnston, who sadly died from meningitis last month at UHL, after allegedly spending a significant period of time on a hospital trolley.

Protesters carried pictures of their loved ones today, latter who were left frightened and nervous due extreme overcrowded conditions, and alas some others who passed away at the medical facility.

Protesters stated they were exceedingly angry and fearful that this overcrowding has been allowed to continue and are seeking a reversal of the decision taken in 2009, under a Fianna Fáil government, to downgrade the 24-hour services at Nenagh Hospital, Co. Tipperary; Ennis Hospital Co. Clare, and St John’s Hospital, Co. Limerick.

Similar smaller protests took place elsewhere around the country today, with protesters sending a similar message to both the Government and the Health Service Executive, stating that they were no longer going to tolerate a health system which has, for far too long, been ignored and mismanaged.