HSE creaking under weight of cash crisis

There are fears Galway’s creaking health service could deteriorate further this winter as funding dries-up and public hospitals struggle to attract new staff.

The Health Service Executive (HSE) has confirmed that some 82% of its budget for this year for agency staff was used up by the end of May.

The HSE has yet to provide a breakdown of figures for Galway’s public hospitals but there is grave concern locally that University Hospital Galway, Merlin Park and Portiuncula hospitals face a winter of discontent.

“If there is only 18% of agency staff budget left, then that has serious implications for the hospitals in the coming months,” said Fianna Fáil county councillor Mary Hoade.

“Winter is traditionally busier for hospitals, with vomiting bugs and flu and people are sicker in winter. So what it means is that if the HSE has spent 82% of its agency staff budget, then there is a concern that there isn’t going to be enough money to fund the agency staff that is needed in our hospitals for the months between now and Christmas.”

Cllr Hoade, a former County Mayor and a member of the HSE West Regional Health Forum, said that overcrowding on trolleys in Emergency Departments (ED) remained worryingly high in August, which is traditionally a quieter month for health service.

The Headford-based politician fears the situation at the ED at UHG will worsen in the winter months. She said the HSE will have to seek a supplementary budget or else more elective surgeries will be cancelled, waiting lists will worsen and the trolley crisis will continue to impact directly on patient care.

“It’s very worrying that the HSE had used over 80% of its agency budget in the first five months of the year. I believe this highlights the fact that the budget for the health service this year was just not grounded in reality. It could also have a huge impact on services here in Galway and across the country in the winter months.

“I have submitted detailed questions to the HSE to get a better sense of the picture in Galway.  There are serious staff shortages and when the Emergency Department in Galway is too crowded it has a major impact on the hospital. I am aware that elective surgeries have had to be postponed simply because the necessary support staff aren’t there.”

The HSE has confirmed to Fianna Fáil that the medical staff portion of its agency budget is the part that is under “the greatest pressure” because premium cost is highest and when it comes to frontline workers, “inability to attract and retain is the key issue”.

Cllr Hoade added: “I have sought clarity from the HSE on how many nurses are coming on stream for Galway and I am keen to learn how many are coming from overseas. There is real concern that the Government’s incentive package to attract new nurses into the country, or attract back nurses that have left, is not good enough to meet competition from other countries.

“There is a lot of work being done by the Department of Health and the HSE at the moment on the health service plan and budget for next year. The needs of University Hospital Galway must not be lost in this process.

“Minister Leo Varadkar needs to ensure that the health budget and the service plan for next year are grounded in reality.”