Emergency Surgery Curtailed for People of County Wicklow

The lives of patients requiring emergency overnight surgery at St. Columcille's hospital, Loughlinstown are being placed at serious risk over a penny pinching attitude by health authorities who pay pittance to `on call' theatre nursing staff, it was claimed today. The four nurses on the rota at the hospital receive a meagre thirteen pounds to be on stand-by from 4.30 p.m. to 8 o'clock the following morning, it has bee revealed to WicklowToday.com.

Along with the huge commitment which can be a major upheaval to their personal lives, the

Only Four Nurses On Duty

nurses on theatre call are actually losing money on the rates paid, according to Mr. Philip McAnenly of the Irish Nurses Union. He told WicklowToday.com that in many cases the girls are faced with expenses such as babysitting when they are called in on duty.

`The nurses are on a bleep system and when someone requires emergency surgery the girls are contacted and must be at the hospital and must have everything ready for the arrival of the patient. They have got to drop everything just to be there and in some cases pay a babysitter. They receive thirteen pounds for being on call and a further twenty-five pounds per operation irrespective of the length of time it takes', said Mr. McAnenly.

He pointed out that in St. Columcille's hospital there is an average of an emergency operation required every three or four nights and it is all proving to be very excessive on the girls for very little financial reward. The theatre nurses have now given notice of their intention to withdraw from doing excessive `on call' work.

On some nights there is no cover available at all so patients who are taken to Loughlinstown hospital are then transferred into either St. Michael's in Dun Laoghaire or St. Vincent's which is delaying the operation time. Such a situation will prevail tomorrow and Thursday and on Monday, Thursday and Friday of next week.

Public representative, Nicky Kelly today described the situation as scandalous where health care staff are treated with contempt and paid pittance in the guise of call out money. `The health and welfare of patients from Co. Wicklow is being put at risk and immediate intervention from the Minister is necessary to ensure that staff gain acceptable conditions and pay and the people of Co. Wicklow receive proper medical treatment', Councillor Kelly added.

`When one compares this penny pinching issue to Bertie's bowl funding one questions whether the ego of the Taoiseach supersedes the welfare and health needs of the people of County Wicklow', he said.