Only enough money left to pay staff at Portiuncula

Fears that a 12-hour emergency department could be implemented in Portiuncula Hospital in Ballinasloe are mounting this week as hospital management prepares to meet HSE officials in Dublin today (Wednesday) to discuss the funding crisis at the hospital. The hospital had gone over its budget by €4.2m to the end of August this year and there are major concerns locally that the HSE may implement a 12-hour emergency department at the hospital to ensure it comes in under budget by the end of the year. And it emerged that there is only enough money left in the budget to pay staff wages, and nothing else, between now and the end of the year. Health Minister James Reilly issued a directive earlier this year that all hospitals must operate within budget, and just two weeks ago the Minister reiterated this directive. IMPACT spokesman Padraig Mulligan said: "That meeting is actively looking at agency staff between now and the end of the year and also looking at curtailing services between now and the end of the year." The only agency staff still employed at the hospital are based in the emergency department, raising concerns that a 12-hour emergency department may become a reality if the hospital is forced to discontinue its use of agency staff. Mr Mulligan added: "There is only enough money to pay the wages in Portiuncula between now and the end of the year, nothing else, if they are to come in on budget. If they do that the ED (emergency department) will close for 12 hours a day and where do those people go then? That, to me, is totally unacceptable." He added that the closure of the emergency department at Roscommon County Hospital had put pressure on emergency departments elsewhere in the western region and said he was pleased with the announcement that beds are to be reopened in Galway University Hospital and Merlin Park. "All we have is the announcement it's going to happen. I would welcome the opening of beds sooner rather than later," he said. Mr Mulligan said the union was expecting to hear from Minister Reilly this week regarding proposals to put in a new management structure at UCHG, which is run under the same management structure at Portiuncula, but he added that he understands this new management structure is not to be implemented. In relation to today's crisis meeting, South Roscommon Independent TD Denis Naughten said this week he is concerned about the outcome of the meeting. "I understand there is a meeting between the HSE and management at the hospital in the coming days surrounding the balancing of the books at Portiuncula and I would be very concerned as to what will come out of it," he told the Westmeath Independent yesterday. The HSE had not responded to a query regarding today's meeting at the time of going to print.