Harkin notes that 34 consultants at Sligo University Hospital are calling for change
“In more than 20 years in politics I’ve never seen anything like the tsunami of emails I have received from consultants across all disciplines at Sligo University Hospital,” Independent TD, Deputy Marian Harkin has told the Taoiseach in the Dail. “Email after email highlights the completely unacceptable and unsafe conditions for patients and staff at Sligo University Hospital, the consistent underinvestment in the hospital and the unfair and unjust share out of resources within the Saolta group."
Deputy Harkin pointed out to the Taoiseach that the action by the 34 consultants is unprecedented, adding “it tells you this is an emergency situation that needs immediate and ongoing attention at the highest level, nothing less than a complete refocusing of resources is needed to address the historic under resourcing at Sligo University Hospital.
“Perhaps one phrase from a particular consultant sums it up perfectly, ‘I have worked as a consultant at SUH for over 17 years and I have never seen the demand on our services so high nor the morale of our staff so low.’ This was supported by another colleague who said, ‘we are haemorrhaging staff and cannot recruit. SUH is, in my opinion, at a tipping point.’
Deputy Harkin contrasted the Galway-centric focus of Saolta in terms of resources with the paucity of provision in Sligo. “In SUH there is only one aging MRI scanner providing imaging services for a population of 250,000. SUH has one CT scanner, and when it is being serviced or breaks down, as it did for three days last September, Sligo cannot even provide this basic requirement of an acute hospital. It now seems a new CT scanner will arrive in 2024, yet Saolta has prioritised a third CT scanner for Galway University Hospital, where there are already five CT scanners within a five-mile radius, rather than putting the second one in Sligo where there is a much greater clinical risk. I don't believe in beggar-my-neighbour politics, but Saolta is too Galway-centric and that needs to change.
“Time and time again I've raised the issue of trolley numbers,” Deputy Harkin reminded the Taoiseach, “and it is a fact that at SUH trolley numbers, in the context of the number of available beds, are the worst in the country. One of the main reasons for the high numbers on trolleys is, that in the wake of the 2008 economic crash Sligo lost 60 beds, proportionately far more than any other hospital in the country. Only in very recent times have three or four of these beds been restored. This has been compounded by subsequent underinvestment and broken promises of a surgical block that was never delivered."
Deputy Harkin acknowledged and welcomed the fact that an emergency meeting between SUH consultants and Minister Donnelly has taken place noting “Any meeting is a start but that's all it is. There have been too many false starts,” she said, “we are well used to them in Sligo.”
She also welcomed the statement by the Taoiseach regarding the proposed ED/surgical block where he asked if the timeline in terms of its construction can be accelerated. Furthermore, his commitment that the Minister for Health will press the HSE to deliver two fully operational CT scanners at the hospital on an accelerated timeline was also welcomed by Deputy Harkin.