Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am well aware of the proposal to reopen five beds at Dungloe Community Hospital and four beds at Carndonagh Community Hospital and I am pleased this will be done in the coming weeks. It shows the importance of trade unions that SIPTU was instrumental in putting forward the proposal regarding Dungloe Community Hospital. It can be done because the staff are non-nursing staff. The reality remains, however, that five beds will remain closed at Dungloe Community Hospital and up to ten in St. Joseph's Community Hospital. A difficulty will arise if a large number of patients get sick at the same time or there is an outbreak of the vomiting bug. In such a situation staff could not return to the hospital, even if they were healthy, and the beds currently open would have to be closed for patient safety reasons. The HSE has indicated to Oireachtas Members in County Donegal that the number of people aged over 65 years in the county will increase by 100% in the next ten years. In other words, the need for additional beds is known. It does not make any sense to have a situation where beds have to be closed if a member of staff goes on annual leave, retires or becomes ill.

I do not expect the Minister of State to produce a magic wand to solve this issue. The fundamental problem is that the system is absolutely broken. I feel sorry for the nurses who have to call in sick knowing their absence could mean that patients will not be given the bed they need. That is a consequence of the moratorium on recruitment. Regardless of whether one agrees with the moratorium, it should certainly not be so restrictive that beds in community hospitals must be closed because somebody has retired or fallen sick or is on maternity leave. It simply should not happen.

There must be greater flexibility within the system, especially when we know we are facing into a crisis. One of the issues of most concern to people in County Donegal is that the inevitable increase in demand comes at a time when the number of beds in the public system is decreasing and there are no plans to increase capacity in the private sector. There is no evidence of foresight or forward planning on the issue. People are fearful in the face of what happened in these hospitals two years ago. We are seeing further bed closures at Dungloe Community Hospital and the same at St. Joseph's Community Hospital. People know the recruitment moratorium is still in place and that more nurses and other staff will be sucked from the system. They are very worried that there will be another public meeting next year at which the closure of another three or four beds, whether temporarily or permanently, will be announced. The system is broken and it is the patients in need of long-term support and care in their own community who will suffer.

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