Thursday January 01 1970
Protest at Crumlin Children’s Hospital against hospital ward closures
dublin |
rights, freedoms and repression |
event notice 
Monday May 11, 2009 00:27
by People Before Profit Alliance - People Before Profit Alliance
Protest at Crumlin Children’s Hospital against hospital ward closures- the first of three this summer.
Tuesday May 12th at 6pm
Protest at Crumlin Children’s Hospital
Tuesday May 12th at 5.45pm
HSE hospital network manager John Bulfin stated in a letter to Crumlin Children’s Hospital in January: “Savings should be targeted to ensure frontline patient care services are appropriately maintained.”
This is what he means by maintaining appropriate patient care services.
· Because of a forecasted deficit of €9.6 million, three wards will shut down this year, starting with St Joseph ’s due to
close on May 14th with two more to close in July and August.
· There will be over 7,000 fewer in-patient bed days at the hospital this year. Theatres will also close and there will also be
a 15 per cent reduction in day case activity along with a 15 per cent reduction in outpatient activity.
· Two “play” specialists will be lost on May 14th. These specialists are crucially important for many children.
· It is expected that the contracts of 17 household workers will not be renewed in May. There will be cuts in agency staffing
and in staff holding temporary contracts, and also in overtime and on-call payments.
In other words, the State’s largest children’s hospital will not be open for our children this summer. Operations will be cancelled. If a child breaks an arm/leg what will happen?
This is a step too far – our wages have been cut and a lot of us are losing jobs but when our children’s health and lives are put at risk we have to take action and take it now.
The HSE must not be allowed to put its accounts before our children’s welfare.
Parents, children, hospital workers must come out on May 12th. We will organise the immediate next steps from the protest to stop this lunacy.
Ends
Issued by the Save our Crumlin Children’s Hospital Campaign
Contact Cllr Joan Collins 086-3888151 or Tina MacVeigh 086-8715293
Comments (5 of 5)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5The People Before Profit group picketed outside Our Lady's Children's Hospital Crumlin last night over the closure of wards due to cuts.
Up to two wards in the hospital are to close because of a funding shortfall of €9.6m.
The organisers of the picket claimed that the cuts would result in 7,000 fewer beds for inpatients.
Hospital management said the reduction in bed days would not be that high.
A hospital spokesperson said that St Joseph's ward is to close in 10 days time and another ward may also close later in the summer.
The wards are being closed to meet budget targets and whether or not the wards will re-open will depend on funding next year.
Seven new state-of-the-art operating theatres were opened at the hospital in June 2004 and it is understood two of those theatres will closed to surgical procedures this summer.
Brid Smith (PBPA) & Cllr Joan Collins (PBPA)
Crowd gather outside the hospital
I would also like to mention that Save Our Lady's children's Hospital Campaign group played a big role in orgainising yestedays protest at the hospital and will continue to fight to keep all services open with in the hospital.
For more on the Campaign visit:
http://www.bebo.com/Profile.jsp?MemberId=4980977770
Also see:
http://www.gopetition.com/online/15434.html
This afternoon members of the Save our Crumlin Children’s Hospital Campaign occupied the National Hospital Office of the HSE at Dr Stevens Hospital. They were joined by People Before Profit local election candidates Brid Smith and Cllr Joan Collins.
They were protesting at cutbacks at Our Ladys Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin which include the closure of St Josephs ward from today.
Read more:
http://www.peoplebeforeprofit.ie/node/108
Cllr Joan Collins (PBPA)
Ladies ,i agree with what u are trying to say and i hope you are doing your utmost to get what you feel is rightfully deserved to the children in question ,
BUT you are ,as a group trying to ''cover '' everything and nothing ,instead of hitting the spot in regards to getting to the core of the problem , and the
problem is amongst the most henious i have ever came across , stick to local issues and see the local issues through to the very end ,
Be a voice for the scandalous immoral carry on which has been inflicated upon the children of Crumlin Childrens Hospital and see it through despite
the orders of Fianna Fail to the contrary and see the fruits of the loom at the end of the day , if only for the sake of sick children ,be a voice to be heard
and shout as loud as possible in order to achieve the very best and to hell with Cowen and Co. If you want to be elected just be honest with yourselves
and the rest should follow through , Dont let up for one minute, show us ,the elecorate what you are capable of achieving ,after all the kids in Crumlin
Children's Hospital are really depending on people before profit to represent their present dilemna , i have had dealings with Brid Smith and have found Brid to be a fighter for Human Rights regardless and the same goe's for Tina who works with people in the Rialto area of Dublin 8 .
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