CRIPPLING cuts of almost 1,000 staff in the HSE’s
Regional Service Plan for Dublin/North East (Dublin North of the Liffey plus
Counties Cavan, Louth, Meath, Monaghan) will endanger patients, it has been
claimed.
Under the HSE’s plan
?¬120 million will be cut from its
budget and staffing levels slashed by 961 this year.
Donaghmede ward councillor Micheal Mac Donncha (SF)
said the plan is
“shocking
? due to the extent of the cuts it imposes on public
health services in this region.
“Cuts of
?¬120.55 million are to be made in 2012 on top
of the funding reduction of
?¬493.5 million between 2009 and this year,
? he
said.
The Services Plan detailed how 400 staff will have
left the health service in the Dublin/ North East region by the end of February
as part of the Government’s early retirement scheme. However, job cuts of 561
members would still be required in 2012.
“That exodus of staff will be a devastating blow to
health services across the board,
? stated Cllr Mac Donncha.
“And the plan states that these massive staff
reductions will be needed
‘before any priority replacement staff are
recruited’.
“We are threatened with 100 bed closures in acute
hospitals across the region and 105 long-term care bed closures.
?
Across the region, there will be cuts in the region of
e10 million for primary care,
?¬7.5 from Older People Services, including
reduced Home Help hours.
There will a reduction of
?¬12.6 million from
Disability Services, a cut of
?¬7.92 million from Children and Family Services,
and a budget cut of
?¬2 million from Social Inclusion Services.
Despite massive reductions in some areas, there was
some good news for Northside hospitals included in the HSE plan.
In capital expenditure,
?¬60 million is being invested,
with the most significant project being the completion of the new adult Mater
Hospital.
As part of the National Clinical Programme, it’s
expected that
?¬1.3 million will be invested in Beaumont Hospital.
Almost
?¬900,000 will be ring-fenced for clinical
priorities to assist with birth rate pressure at the Rotunda Hospital.
And an additional 200-250 long-term care beds, both
public and private, are being provided in the Dublin/North East region this
year.