St. Vincents "National" Cystic Fibrosis Unit adopt "Dubs only policy"

[White Horse]

The "national" adult referral centre for cystic fibrosis in St. Vincents Hospital is set to turn away culchies and only offer treatment to the good folk of Dublin.

DUBLIN hospital facing a shortfall of more than €17 million this year has told the Health Service Executive (HSE) it can no longer accept patients referred to it from outside its catchment area if they are coming from regions that already have “appropriate” services.
St Vincent’s hospital, which has taken the step in a bid to cut costs, has indicated this will affect a wide range of patients, including those requiring pain management and cystic fibrosis sufferers.
It has indicated to the HSE that up to 30 per cent of its workload comes from outside its catchment area at an annual cost of about €10 million. While the hospital is the national adult referral centre for cystic fibrosis patients and about 25 per cent of its referrals for cystic fibrosis come from outside its catchment area.
Cost plan for hospital to impact on patients - The Irish Times - Mon, May 18, 2009

The callous two tier health system being implemented by this government will see health resources targeted at cities while hospitals offering "appropriate services" in rural areas are being closed and downgraded.

Now the option of long and painful travel to urban hospitals is being closed off, leaving rural people without any speacialist health care.

[Ulster-Lad]

An absolute disgrace. Where are these people supposed to get the care they need?

[BodyofEvidence]

well, they can pay for it of course if they REALLY want it....thats the Harney Plan.

[Christine Murray]

Let the Greens know why don't you , also someone should be asking Mc Grath cos health policy is what will bring the lot down with a one quarter annual budget misspent and worse, defended by a bunch of hypocrites.

[spidermom]

.....DUBLIN hospital facing a shortfall of more than €17 million this year has told the Health Service Executive (HSE) it can no longer accept patients referred to it from outside its catchment area if they are coming from regions that already have “appropriate” services....


This will snooker Harneys failed Dublin centres of excellence for cancer as well.
Tallaght's breast cancer unit was due to transfer over to Vincents!
Tallaght passed the HIQA assessment with flying colours last year.
The move was on hold because of the numbers involved who present in Tallaght every year!

[ballot stuffer]

Before we get the pitch forks out lads they stipulated that this is only for cases where a patients home regional hospital provides the services.

At a guess that would mean the CF patients are not affected since Vincients are the only hospital that provide it?

Where is the story here?

[White Horse]

Before we get the pitch forks out lads they stipulated that this is only for cases where a patients home regional hospital provides the services.

At a guess that would mean the CF patients are not affected since Vincients are the only hospital that provide it?

Where is the story here?

I quote from the National Disability Authority "The Provision of Services for the Treatment of Cystic Fibrosis in Ireland"

Adult provision outside Dublin should be developed urgently to create a balanced service with broad geographical coverage. This would reduce the excessive burden on St. Vincent’s.
Paper 15: The Provision of Services for the Treatment of Cystic Fibrosis in Ireland

The report confirms that adequate services do not exist outside Dublin. Turning non-Dublin people away from St. Vincents is a death sentence.

[Christine Murray]

Before we get the pitch forks out lads they stipulated that this is only for cases where a patients home regional hospital provides the services.

At a guess that would mean the CF patients are not affected since Vincients are the only hospital that provide it?

Where is the story here?

The complete letdown of patients, one of whom I know who is undergoing appalling stress on behalf of her daughter with endless and idiotic bad
health news on amalgamations and rundown services.

Not one press release from Mary Harney's dept has done anything to alleviate the deep anxieties that people have suffered as a direct result
of Her Policy.

(and as I said before it the the most vulnerable who are suffering be they very elderly or the parents of the very young, but hey let her have the
budget and feck everyone who has a working opinion of services)

[ballot stuffer]

The complete letdown of patients, one of whom I know who is undergoing appalling stress on behalf of her daughter with endless and idiotic bad
health news on amalgamations and rundown services.

Not one press release from Mary Harney's dept has done anything to alleviate the deep anxieties that people have suffered as a direct result
of Her Policy.

(and as I said before it the the most vulnerable who are suferring be they very elderly or the parents of the very young, but hey let her have the
budget and feck everyone who has a working opinion of services)

There seems to be some confusion, likely on my part.

They say they are cutting services to people who are covered by other hospitals but on the other other hand they are the only hospital that can provide some of the CF services.

Will they still be providing the services that only they can provide but making patients use their local hospital for service that are covered elsewhere?

[Christine Murray]

Ok- in terms of access to care , it's a mess thats all I am saying.

There are very (very) angry people who are facing amalgamations of their emergency services for which CF has other dependencies (including A+E, btw).

People really want to hear good news in care and health issues at this point; but deaf politico after deaf politico has quite politely ignored these things
and consistently supported failed policy and ignored the C+AG report/the Oireachtas Comm reports: Overspend/misspend/bad budgetting.