Speaking to the Irish Examiner, Neurological Alliance of Ireland spokeswoman Mags Rogers said official HSE figures show 164 patients — suffering from a range of serious conditions — are being forced to wait more than half a year before undergoing…
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€7m promised for surgery to ensure 350 children can hear fully
Minister James Reilly told the Oireachtas Health Committee yesterday that approximately €7m has been “put aside for next year” to ensure bilateral cochlear ear implants can take place in Ireland. The delicate procedure addresses deafness caused by damage to the…
Call to halt non-crucial referrals for surgery
Independent watchdog the Health Information Quality Authority has made the recommendation as part of plans to ensure vital funds are spent on patients who need them most. Under the HSE-requested proposal, which has been sent to Health Minister James Reilly…
122 surgeries deferred at CUH
A total of 122 operations were cancelled at one of the country’s busiest hospitals last week because of the increased number of emergency admissions. The matter was raised in the Dáil yesterday by Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin who claimed…
Student sues over paralysis after back operation
The High Court heard Richard O’Callaghan, now aged 27, from Deanewood Avenue, Togher, Co Cork, became paralysed and was paraplegic 14 days after surgery to treat a curvature of the spine at the Blackrock Clinic in Dublin. The business student…
Surgeries at Cork University Hospital deferred over A&E logjam
The HSE last night issued a statement saying almost 400 patients sought care at the hospital’s emergency department between 8am on Saturday and 4pm yesterday, of whom 117 required emergency admission. On foot of this, the HSE said it was…
Surgeons’ privacy fears delay move to monitor death rates
It was designed to compare the death rates of individual surgeons who perform the same operation and find out if any of the doctors need re-training. But Ken Mealy, who was to direct the audit, has confirmed it has now…
Bed shortage led to cancellation of 170 operations
A shortage of beds was directly responsible for the cancellation of more than 170 operations at Kerry General Hospital (KGH) between 2010 and 2012. While the overall cancellation figure for the three-year period was 1,294, there were other factors, besides…
Patients in 90s suffer as staff cuts delay vital operations
Two patients in their 90s in need of operations could not be dealt with at the Mid-West Regional Hospital due to staff cuts, the hospital confirmed last night. A staff shortage means one of the two acute theatres in the…
Surgery cuts would ‘turn back clock’ on reforms
A leading action group for the elderly has warned that rerouting money away from surgeries like hip replacements and cataracts to more serious, life-threatening conditions would “turn back the clock” on healthcare reform. Age Action Ireland spokesman Eamon Timmins made…
Ruairi Hanley: Arrogance of health watchdog, HIQA, is breathtaking
HIQA – the Health Information and Quality Authority – has announced that it will be carrying out an assessment of the “benefit of scheduled surgery” for thousands of patients throughout Ireland. We are informed that this review will result in…
HSE to restrict 20 most common surgeries
Access to some of Ireland’s most common hospital surgeries could be drastically cut in a HSE bid to reroute funds for lifesaving services with chronic waiting lists. The move could limit access to 20 procedures — including hip replacements —…
Clinic to help cut hospital’s occupancy rate
A new clinic that cuts the amount of time a patient has to spend in hospital was formally opened at Mercy University Hospital (MUH) in Cork yesterday. The pre-operative assessment clinic (PAC) means patients who are scheduled for surgery are…
Keith Synnott: stem cell ‘breakthrough’ for spinal injuries is bullshit
Reports of a “breakthrough” that raises the possibility that paralysed people might walk again have been sharply criticised by the director of the National Spinal Injuries Unit. Orthopaedic and trauma surgeon Keith Synnott described reports that paralysed people treated with…
Litany of surgical mistakes and near-misses revealed
Sean Tierney, professor of surgical informatics at the Royal College of Surgeons, said swabs or other foreign bodies could be left in the patient in difficult situations or when the surgeon was distracted. He said doctors should follow a well-established…
Robo-surgery a highlight of cutting-edge event
Keyhole surgery carried out by a robot will be beamed live by satellite from a Cork hospital to one of the city’s top hotels — and viewed by an audience of hundreds. The robotic hysterectomy — to be carried out…
Cuts force hospital to shut down major surgical ward
ONE of the country’s biggest hospitals has shut a major surgical ward as the first in a wave of expected cutbacks begins to bite. The Mater hospital in Dublin, which has a waiting list of 5,295 patients in need of…
Surgeon a ‘scapegoat’ for bad facilities
A CONSULTANT surgeon whose 39-year-old patient died after three operations for appendicitis was being made “a scapegoat” because of lack of facilities at a Co Clare hospital, an expert witness for the doctor told a Medical Council fitness-to-practise inquiry yesterday.…
Man (75) to wear crown of thorns in surgery protest
A DUBLIN man who has been refused funding for vital surgery abroad has said that he will take up a cross and wear a crown of thorns outside Leinster House today to highlight his plight. His doctor at Beaumont Hospital…
Surgeon sang as he worked on my heart
My cardio was crooning it quietly and happily to himself as he worked. “Monsieur,” I said. “C’est Les Copains vous chant.” “You know this?” he asked smiling. “It is my favourite song.” So for the next 20 minutes or so,…
Hip operation woman loses action
The judge found no evidence of negligence by Dr Kieran O’Rourke and no evidence he had deviated from the general and approved practice in his performance of surgery on Ms McGowan. (Times) >
Two-thirds of faulty hips were fitted in private hospitals
As many as 1,114 patients were fitted with the DePuy products at the Waterford clinic, compared to the next highest figure of 339 at the Galway Clinic. (Examiner) >
Patients fitted with faulty hip implants to sue
Dublin firm McDonnell and Associates has been approached by at least 60 patients fitted with one of two faulty hip implants made by DePuy — part of the Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices and Diagnostics Group. In Ireland, 3,282 patients…
Patients now face surgery delays as staff retire
PUBLIC patients on waiting lists for surgery are likely to face delays in hospitals due to staff leaving on early retirement next month, Health Minister Dr James Reilly admitted yesterday. “I’ve absolutely no problem in saying that one of the things we…
Why my diligent, caring surgeon is truly a saint – Emer O’Kelly
He has successfully created a climate of public opinion where all nurses are considered angels of mercy with medical expertise to match that of any consultant, working slave labour hours for wages that would disgrace a Victorian miner. The nurses are now…
Cuts to impact surgery waiting lists
Waiting lists for specialist treatment and surgery are about to get longer at one of the country’s largest regional hospitals. With over €6m in cuts and the departure of up to 70 nurses by next month, Waterford Regional Hospital (WRH)…
Robot surgery adds €2k to operation
LOWER risk of blood transfusion and shorter hospital stays are among the advantages of using a robot during certain kinds of surgery, but the cost may be difficult to justify, a report has found. (Examiner) >
Seasoned surgeons perform better
PATIENTS can expect safer care if their surgeon is aged 35 to 50, research suggests. Previous studies have found experts tend to reach their “peak performance” after about 10 years in their speciality. The latest research, published online in the…
