HSE failing pain sufferers – Pringle

The recent case of Thomas Keaveney from Convoy, who has been denied treatment in St Vincent’s Hospital in Dublin has highlighted the complete failure of the government’s health policy. So much for money follows the patient. Clearly in Thomas’ case he was getting efficient treatment and the hospital has been penalised rather than rewarded for treating him.

Once again we see the most vulnerable people caught in the middle of a bureaucratic row within the health services. Minister Reilly makes much of his policy of money following patients but he needs to make sure that this happens, for too long sick people are being used as pawns in this on-going battle for funding between the hospitals and the HSE.

St Vincent’s has been instructed by the HSE to stop treating patients outside their catchment area and the hospital can no longer afford to treat patients such as Thomas. The hospital is operating on a deficit of over €7 million for this year and cannot treat any extra patients outside its catchment. The HSE has always refused to compensate St Vincent’s for treating patients from the rest of the country and this case shows how this has been brought to a head.

A former cancer sufferer who, as a result of his illness suffers from chronic pain is forced onto the airwaves to try and continue the treatment he so vitally needs. Surely patients like Thomas have suffered enough and are under enough stress without having to wonder where they will get their treatment from. The HSE will have to pay for them to be treated anyway and it would be better that they continue to be treated where they are familiar with the staff and comfortable with the help that they are getting.

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One Comment

1. 

   Brigid

   11th April 2012 at 9:29 pm

   Hi
   I am very interested in pursuing the unacceptable decision to stop St Vincent’s seeing patients for pain management outside their catchment area. I expect the man from Donegal needs the expertise of StV’s. If they can no longer see him is the HSE willing to provide treatment abroad?
   I am in contact with others who attend St Vincent’s for pain management which has proven to be very effective. I hate to think that they too will no longer be treated there. The reason they are attending St V. is because they are a centre of excellent. Do you have a contact name in the HSE who is the spokesperson for this decision.

   Regards
   Brigid