A Shambles!

Date Published: 04-Oct-2007

Galway’s health services appeared to be descending into chaos this week, with widespread cuts being touted in the wake of the HSE’s staff freeze — and new figures showing the region has the longest waiting lists in the country.

One of the proposed measures is to close one of the two units in Merlin Park Hospital for orthopaedic patients which slashes the number of beds available for elective hip, knee and spinal surgery by half.

Another proposal to cut costs being considered at University Hospital Galway (UHG) is to reduce the number of days on which breast cancer patients can be seen for biopsies a from five days to three.

Management may also have to reduce the number of beds by up to 11 because of some 45 nursing vacancies at the hospital that they cannot now fill.

Last week it was revealed…..

See the full list of Shame – where the axe is falling – in this week’s Tribune or online ………