'Huge relief' says Offaly mother as diabetes service restored

A TULLAMORE mother has spoken of her relief that vital services for diabetic children are being restored.

Amy McDowell's two-year-old daughter Erin is living with type 1 diabetes and along with more than 140 other children is under the care of the paediatric diabetes service at the Midlands Regional Hospital in Mullingar.

Families were very fearful at the beginning of April when they were told by Professor Michael O'Grady, national clinical lead for paediatric diabetes, that staffing shortages had resulted in the Mullingar-based service being left without any nurses.

One nurse who had been doing the work of 2.6 nursing staff had to leave because of the pressure, said Professor O'Grady, who pointed out that a similar crisis had occurred in 2021 and it led to the “closure” of the service.

“As things stand, the service once again finds itself facing a crisis – one which was entirely preventable. I have learned much from the previous service closure and am aware both then, and again now that no one in management listens to or cares about what concerns me,” he said.

He called on parents to use their “collective voice and advocacy” to ensure the service remain in place and be properly staffed and resourced.

Professor O'Grady said the diabetes clinic would continue with no diabetes nurse or dietician but warned that new insulin pumps would not be available and “your child will have to revert to injections”.

The matter was raised on the floor of the Dail and with Health Minister Stephen Donnelly but by early last week parents remained concerned about the future of the service.

A nurse based in Portlaoise was assigned to Mullingar temporarily but parents said that was not a solution and would lead to further nurse exhaustion.

Amy McDowell said her child receives her insulin by pump and the treatment can only be done by nurses who are familiar with the individual patients.

She stated it is no exaggeration to say that children can die if they do not have the correct levels of insulin.

“My daughter is only two years old and requires regular adjustments to her insulin ratios. Obviously this is not happening as we have been without our nurse for almost four weeks. I had no knowledge of type 1 diabetes before her diagnosis, it was not present in our family,” she said.

“Erin's nurse was our lifeline. She was our support and our cheerleader. Without her I am having to wake every two hours to check my daughter's blood sugars as she is growing and going through many changes, this affects her sugars, as do 44 other factors.”

Ms McDowell said that while Government representative were saying in the Dail that Mullingar hospital management had “sorted” the staffing problem, the clinic was contacting parents to cancel their appointments.

“These appointments are vital in supporting diabetic children's health and avoiding long-term complications.”

Ms McDowell, who also has two older children, said: “The HSE shortsightedness is beyond alarming. The long term impact of children with uncontrolled sugars is phenomenal. This action of the HSE is putting vulnerable children at risk of long term complications.”

Late last week parents were told that the advance nurse practitioner would be returning to work and another nurse is going to be allocated to the service.

“This is a huge relief for all 145 families,” said Ms McDowell.

She said Professor O'Grady had been amazing and she would be “eternally grateful” to both him and the nurse, who herself had type 1 diabetes.

“They both put our children's welfare above their own,” she said.

She attributed the provision of a solution by the HSE to the actions of Professor O'Grady, the nurse and the “noise” from all the parents.

Speaking on Tuesday morning this week she said: “The clinics are on as normal today. So hopefully we'll get everything sorted for us now over the next week.”

Type 1 diabetes occurs when the pancreas stops working and the insulin which the organ should be creating has instead to be injected so that blood sugars are controlled.

“Type 1 diabetes does not discriminate. There is no known cause for this condition. This is life long.”

A spokesperson for Mullingar hospital said the paediatric diabetes service had resumed “normal service” on Monday, April 22 and acknowledged Portlaoise hospital who supported the short-term release of an experienced and skilled candidate advanced nurse practitioner in paediatric diabetes to supplement its service.

Mullingar hospital also welcomed “the approval of additional staff to further enhance the service going forward”.

“Parents have been communicated with and should continue to contact the Hospital as normal should they require urgent clinical support at any time,” said a statement.