Minister must act now as CUH warns staffing crisis threatens patient safety
Minister must act now as CUH warns staffing crisis threatens patient safety - The Labour Party
Labour Senator in Cork South Central Laura Harmon has called on the Minister for Health to immediately take action after the CEO of Cork University Hospital warned the HSE that staffing delays have created an unsustainable position and pose a risk to patient safety as the hospital approaches the winter period.
Senator Harmon said:
“This warning from the CEO of Cork University Hospital is deeply concerning and must ring alarm bells. Jennifer Kearney could not have stated the danger more clearly when she wrote: ‘I do not believe that the current position is sustainable, nor do I believe it is safe to enter the winter period with the level of staffing uncertainty that currently exists.’
“These delays have real and serious consequences. CUH has cancelled 30 paediatric neurology appointments involving some of its most complex cases. Interventional neuroradiology services face significant pressure, while radiography shortages have restricted CT scanner capacity.
“I previously raised concerns about these staffing pressures, specifically on the CT scanner capacity issue, but Government has failed to take concrete action. The situation has now reached the point where the hospital’s own CEO has explicitly warned that it is not safe to enter the winter period with this level of uncertainty.
“The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation has also warned that unsafe conditions highlighted by its members at CUH have worsened. The pause on replacement posts and the failure to recruit enough staff to fill like-for-like vacancies place further pressure on workers who already operate in an extremely demanding environment.
“The Minister for Health must act now. She must ensure that CUH can immediately appoint every funded and clinically prioritised post, lift barriers to replacing essential staff and publish a clear plan for safe winter staffing. Cork patients and healthcare workers need action, not further delay.”