Community healthcare underfunding is “failing residents” says Whelan

The under-resourced community healthcare sector is failing residents of Dublin South West according to Sinn Féin councillor Niamh Whelan.

The Tallaght Central has criticised what she called government’s “chronic” lack of funding into the community healthcare sector across Dublin South West.

When said “I was contacted late last week by a constituent who received a letter from the HSE stating that the Public Health Nursing Service is moving to priority status in their area due to staff shortages, meaning they must prioritise the services that are provided by them. The letter stated that the PHN service would not be in a position to deliver a routine health and development assessment for this person’s child.”

“Developmental checks provided by the PHN service are critical for parents, particularly new parents, in identifying potential developmental delays in young children.”

“This is yet another area that Government have chronically underfunded and left decimated by the recruitment embargo implemented by the HSE from October 23 to July 24,” she said.

“This is just one of many cases I’m dealing with where the community healthcare sector is not providing the service it is supposed to provide to the community, pushing people into the private sector, creating further financial strain. This Government have refused to put the proper recourses in place to tackle this crisis to reduce the strain on people who require their service”