THURLES BED CLOSURES DEFY LOGIC

Issued : Monday 14 June, 2010

Local MEP Alan Kelly has labelled the closure of beds at the Hospital of the Assumption in Thurles as “defying logic”.

Kelly said “The loss of five beds in Thurles is yet another devastating blow to health services in Tipperary.”

 

“There is a fundamentally flawed logic behind these decisions that just doesn’t add up. The HSE want to get people out of acute hospitals as quickly as possible to free up valuable bed space but now they are reducing respite beds, thereby reducing the options for people coming out of the acute hospital system.”

 

“The current embargo is now severely impacting crucial care services. Thurles has already lost five hospital beds due to staff shortages with six more beds under threat.”

 

“It is madness that we have a modern facility in Thurles with beds lying empty when we have local people in dire need of respite care.”

 

“Due to the recruitment ban, hospital staff are being placed under severe pressure to cope with critically low staffing levels.”

“When the situation reaches breaking point this leads to the loss of services as we can see in this case.”

 

“Thurles offers crucial respite and rehab care to the whole of Tipperary and it effects both North and South.”

 

“The pattern of cutting services is something we are seeing all across the county, Nenagh, Clonmel and now Thurles. With each month our hospitals are experiencing cuts that are affecting their ability to serve the people of Tipperary.”