FINE GAEL is continuing to put pressure on the Government to justify aspects of the new national cancer strategy in the west, in spite of the defeat of its Dáil motion on the issue last month.
Fine Gael TD for Galway West Padraic McCormack has warned that transferring breast cancer patients from Mayo and Sligo to one of the eight so-called “centres of excellence” in Galway “simply can’t be done” without ringfenced funding.
His party colleague and Galway city councillor, Pádraig Conneely, has described University College Hospital, Galway (UCHG) as a “chamber of horrors”, due to lack of resources.
Cllr Conneely also criticised Prof Tom Keane, director of the National Cancer Control Programme, as adopting an “arrogant” approach to the issue.
Cllr Conneely told The Irish Times he was standing over his remarks, made at last week’s Health Service Executive (HSE) West regional health forum in Galway.
Several councillors sought to distance themselves from his comments, but Cllr Conneely said that he was referring specifically to the pressure on the hospital’s casualty department. He emphasised that he was “not in any way” referring to the “excellent work carried out by medical staff under severe pressure”.
“The UCHG casualty department is symptomatic of the pressure on the hospital generally,” Cllr Conneely said. “For the first four months of this year, there were 1,333 patients waiting on trolleys for beds, and 444 patients were on trolleys overnight during the month of April.
“Doctors have told me that up to 20 patients could be dying unnecessarily every year because of overcrowding.
“On one morning that I was present recently, there were 32 people on trolleys. Some of these people were old, scared, upset, with only a bit of a screen around them.”
Cllr Conneely and Mr McCormack have said that Minister for Health and Children Mary Harney must explain how she can create a “centre of excellence” for cancer care at UCHG without first eliminating a “very serious situation” in casualty there.
Mr McCormack has also pointed out that Merlin Park Hospital in Galway would have been a better location for a centre of excellence, due to its proximity to ring roads. The HSE was trying to “put a gallon into two pints” at UCHG, he said.
However, Fianna Fáil TD for Mayo Beverly Flynn, who voted with the Government on last month’s Dáil motion, said she believes a “Mayo clinic” with dedicated clinic times, theatre slots and surgical beds, would be provided in Galway.
The HSE has said that the transfer of up to 5,000 cancer care patients from Mayo and Sligo to UCHG would not take place until the hospital was “ready”, but has also given a timetable of the end of December this year.
“Nothing will happen until the hospital is ready,” an HSE spokeswoman told The Irish Times.
Cllr Conneely maintains that Prof Keane did not stay to hear the views of forum representatives at the recent health forum meeting, and this displayed an “arrogant” attitude.
“I think he felt that we were low-life gobshites and that he was a medical man who did not need to hear us,” Cllr Conneely said. “Only six people of 40 present had spoken when he packed his briefcase and left. Those who hadn’t spoken were very upset and asked that their names be recorded as seeking such time by the chairman.”
Prof Keane delivered a presentation on the strategy, and took responses before leaving after 90 minutes. The HSE said that Prof Keane had an engagement which required his return to Dublin. The forum had been informed that he was first item on the agenda, a spokeswoman said.
