HSE must honour its agreement to provide 90 nursing posts at Mullingar Hospital – McFadden

Longford/Westmeath Fine Gael TD, Gabrielle McFadden, has said that the HSE must honour its agreement to provide 90 nursing posts at the Midland Regional Hospital in Mullingar.

“It is extremely disappointing to learn that issues have arisen around the provision of new nursing posts urgently required for Mullingar Hospital.

“In February, constructive discussions between the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation and the HSE led to a clear agreement that these posts would be provided to address the serious staffing shortages at the hospital.

“The February breakthrough was widely welcomed against the backdrop of a pressing need for nursing staff comprising a range of specialities. Any row back by the HSE on this agreement is completely unacceptable.

“I have been working with the Hospital Manager on resolving this issue and have made the Minister for Health, Leo Varadkar, very aware of the urgency of the matter. Minister Varadkar has now requested a report from the HSE.

“Current staff at the hospital continue to work under very difficult circumstances and are doing a tremendous job in spite of this.

“This latest impasse is all the more disappointing given the range of plans being developed for the hospital, including the upgrade of the Accident and Emergency Department and the provision of a second Palliative Care consultant. 

“I have also called for the development of a consultant led community geriatrician team for the Midlands to help alleviate overcrowding and I understand Mullingar Hospital is now being considered as a location for such a team.  I am convinced that if such a specialist team was in place, many more elderly patients could be assessed and treated in the community.”