Connacht Tribune
Public hospitals spend €940k on private MRI scans
Two new MRI scanners could have been bought by Galway’s public hospitals last year, with the amount of money they spent sending public patients to private hospitals to perform diagnostic scans.
Some 4,522 patients were referred to private facilities for scans last year at a cost of €938,500 to the public purse.
This is because there is only one MRI scanner at University Hospital Galway, and there are thousands on public waiting lists for medical imaging scans.
The cost of a much-needed second MRI machine at UHG would be in the region of €500,000.
Politicians, doctors and local hospital management have repeatedly flagged the need for a second MRI at UHG and Merlin Park.
Now, new figures obtained by Fine Gael TD, Hildegarde Naughton reveal that it would make economic sense to purchase a second one, and it would result in substantial financial savings in the medium to long run.
The Galway West Deputy has discovered that over the past three years, a total of 11,921 patients have been referred by the hospital to private operators for medical imaging scans in the past three years at a cost to the taxpayer of €2,342,370.
Deputy Naughton, who obtained the information through a series of parliamentary questions, described the situation as unacceptable and said money was being wasted in the absence of common sense.
“A new MRI scanner would cost in the region of €500,000. Instead of investing in one, almost a million euro was spent last year on a stopgap solution by outsourcing scans to a private company,” she said.
“This makes no sense from either an economic or clinical perspective, and is doing a disservice to both taxpayers and patients who are waiting up to two years to undergo diagnostic scans.”
A single MRI scanner is currently being utilised at full capacity at UHG, operating from 9am to 5pm from Monday to Friday, with extended working days two days per week.
Despite this, 4,522 patients were referred to private facilities for scans last year at a cost of €938,500. In 2015, 4,234 scans were outsourced at a cost of €761,030.
Deputy Naughton, a member of the Oireachtas Committee on the Future of Healthcare, said that this money would be better spent on a new MRI scanner and associated costs.
“It can’t be said that the hospital cannot afford a new MRI scanner. It’s clear that an abundance of money is being found to pay private operators to carry out medical imaging scans,” she said.
“If some of this was reallocated for a new scanner, through-put could be doubled and those patients who have found themselves waiting up to two years could receive the attention that they are entitled to expect.”
A business case for a second MRI scanner was submitted to the HSE last year. Additional funding for equipment and staffing would also be required. The hospital has said that potential locations for a new scanner are currently being explored.
At the latest HSE West Regional Health Forum, Ann Cosgrove Chief Operating Officer at Saolta University Healthcare Group, stressed the need for a second MRI in Galway.
She also revealed that Galway is operating with 17 fewer radiographers than required, due to vacancies, sick and maternity leave.
The Connacht Tribune reported also last week how public patients are waiting an average of almost two years for an MRI scan in Galway – with more than 2,400 people on the list.
Urgent cases, of which there were 93, are on the waiting list for three months. Waiting times for CT scans are even longer – at the moment 163 urgent cases are waiting nearly four months.
Significant state investment is required to address ‘shocking’ inequalities that leave cancer patients in the West at greater risk of succumbing to the disease.
A meeting of Regional Health Forum West heard that survival rates for breast, lung and colorectal cancers than the national average, and with the most deprived quintile of the population, the West’s residents faced poorer outcomes from a cancer diagnosis.
For breast cancer patients, the five-year survival rate was 80% in the West versus 85% nationally; for lung cancer patients it was 16.7% in the west against a 19.5% national survival rate; and in the West’s colorectal cancer patients, there was a 62.6% survival rate where the national average was 63.1%.
These startling statistics were provided in answer to a question from Ballinasloe-based Cllr Evelyn Parsons (Ind) who said it was yet another reminder that cancer treatment infrastructure in the West was in dire need of improvement.
“The situation is pretty stark. In the Western Regional Health Forum area, we have the highest incidence of deprivation and the highest health inequalities because of that – we have the highest incidences of cancer nationally because of that,” said Cllr Parsons, who is also a general practitioner.
In details provided by CEO of Saolta Health Care Group, which operates Galway’s hospitals, it was stated that a number of factors were impacting on patient outcomes.
Get the full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now, or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie. You can also download our Connacht Tribune App from Apple’s App Store or get the Android Version from Google Play.
Galway 3-18
Cork 1-10
NEW setting; new opposition; new challenge. It made no difference to the Galway minor hurlers as they chalked up a remarkable sixth consecutive double digits championship victory at Semple Stadium on Saturday.
The final scoreline in Thurles may have been a little harsh on Cork, but there was no doubting Galway’s overall superiority in setting up only a second-ever All-Ireland showdown against Clare at the same venue on Sunday week.
Having claimed an historic Leinster title the previous weekend, Galway took a while to get going against the Rebels and also endured their first period in a match in which they were heavily outscored, but still the boys in maroon roll on.
Beating a decent Cork outfit by 14 points sums up how formidable Galway are. No team has managed to lay a glove on them so far, and though Clare might ask them questions other challengers haven’t, they are going to have to find significant improvement on their semi-final win over 14-man Kilkenny to pull off a final upset.
Galway just aren’t winning their matches; they are overpowering the teams which have stood in their way. Their level of consistency is admirable for young players starting off on the inter-county journey, while the team’s temperament appears to be bombproof, no matter what is thrown at them.
Having romped through Leinster, Galway should have been a bit rattled by being only level (0-4 each) after 20 minutes and being a little fortunate not to have been behind; or when Cork stormed out of the blocks at the start of the second half by hitting 1-4 to just a solitary point in reply, but there was never any trace of panic in their ranks.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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GARDAÍ and the IFA have issued a joint appeal to all road users to take extra care as the silage season gets under way across the country.
Silage harvesting started in many parts of Galway last week – and over the coming month, the sight of tractors and trailers on rural roads will be getting far more frequent.
Inspector Conor Madden, who is in charge of Galway Roads Policing, told the Farming Tribune that a bit of extra care and common-sense from all road users would go a long way towards preventing serious collisions on roads this summer.
“One thing I would ask farmers and contractors to consider is to try and get more experienced drivers working for them.
“Tractors have got faster and bigger – and they are also towing heavy loads of silage – so care and experience are a great help in terms of accident prevention,” Inspector Madden told the Farming Tribune.
He said that tractor drivers should always be aware of traffic building up behind them and to pull in and let these vehicles pass, where it was safe to do so.
“By the same token, other road users should always exercise extra care; drive that bit slower; and ‘pull in’ that bit more, when meeting tractors and heavy machinery.
“We all want to see everyone enjoying a safe summer on our roads – that extra bit of care, and consideration for other roads users can make a huge difference,” said Conor Madden.
He also advised motorists and tractor drivers to be acutely aware of pedestrians and cyclists on the roads during the summer season when more people would be out walking and cycling on the roads.
The IFA has also joined in on the road safety appeal with Galway IFA Farm Family and Social Affairs Chair Teresa Roche asking all road users to exercise that extra bit of care and caution.
“We are renewing our annual appeal for motorists to be on the look out for tractors, trailers and other agricultural machinery exiting from fields and farmyards,” she said.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App
Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.
Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite HERE.
Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Families queue up for school’s offer of free house
West has lower cancer survival rates than rest
Galway minors continue to lay waste to all opponents
Gardaí and IFA issue a joint appeal on summer road safety
Marathon Man plans to call a halt – but not before he hits 160 races
