A prominent hospital consultant at St Lukes says they were blindsided by last weeks capital funding announcement for the hospital.
The HSE revealed a funding boost of 6.5 million for projects in Carlow and Kilkenny last week including plans for ward refurbishment works at St Lukes.
Professor Garry Courteney says 24 beds will be lost in these plans as wards are revamped to enhance infection control.
He’s described the funding announcement as really inadequate and outlined his disappoinment on The KCLR Daily this morning that they had not been briefed before the press release: “It was more than strange. It’s very disappointing. We were completely blindsided no one in the hospital knew, then when the press release went out and then you start seeing things in the news about, this is great news.”
“You know the staff come in day after day to a very difficult situation, not enough beds, not enough staff right now, trying to do their best and then we’re not even aware of what’s been planned.”
“One of the biggest problems during COVID, you might remember, patients suffered terribly a lot of them died, two of our staff died and 700 staff were infected.”
“These staff came to work and did huge work, but in terribly old wards and some of these wards are going to be refitted and refurbished so that will actually improve safely for the staff and the patients.”
“So we’re going to have to lose 24 beds from the hospital because to make it safer for patients, we are going to move the patients further apart so that will reduce the risk of any infection moving from patient to patient.”
You can listen back to Professor Courtney’s interview on The KCLR Daily below:
