No staff to run new A&E Unit at hospital 08/07/14

Webmaster | July 8, 2014

A shortage of staff at Wexford’s ultra modern multimillion new Accident and Emergency Unit is putting the lives of people across Co. Wexford at risk, it was alleged this week.

Now Wexford Co. Council has demanded an urgent meeting with the Minister for Health to discuss the crisis following a warning from hospital employee and Council member Ger Carthy that a life could be lost as a result of the new unit not functioning fully due to a lack of staff.

Cllr. Carthy insisted that the Council seek an immediate meeting with the Minister rather than taking the discussion to the HSE saying the matter was too serious to go anywhere but to the Minister.

Cllr. Carthy told this week’s Council meeting that the new state of the art facility is not being fully utilised due to staff shortages and he revealed that it would take an additional nine A&E nurses and at least two A&E Consultants to enable the facility to operate fully.

He told his colleagues that the full paediatric unit is not open and ambulances often have to wait with patients because a number of the A&E rooms are closed. This puts pressure on the ambulance service with ambulances being stacked outside the unit waiting for patients to be admitted.

He warned that this increased pressure on ambulances could cause delays as a result of which someone could lose their life.

Cllr. Mary Farrell said it was an issue whi9ch affected every person in Co. Wexford. It was pointless having an impressive new facility if you did not staff it, she said.

Cllr Larry O’Brien suggested that the issue be raised with the HSE section in charge of the hospital, but this was rejected by Cllr Carthy.

Cllr George Lawlor, while supporting the motion, said sight should not be lost of what had been achieved at the hospital and he warned against people talking it down. He said there would be no A&E in Wexford but for the fact that the decision to move it to Waterford had been reversed.

All those involved in ensuring that the new A&E was constructed deserved credit, he said

Cllr. Lawlor said he believed the staff would be provided to enable the new facility to operate.