Donegal Sinn Féin -- Building an Ireland of Equals

Sinn Féin express concerns over staff levels at Letterkenny General Hospital

Published: 26 July, 2010

Sinn Féin express concerns over staff levels at Letterkenny General Hospital

Speaking after meeting with local union representatives, Sinn Féin Senator Pearse Doherty and Cllr Pádraig Mac Lochlainn have expressed their concerns over staffing levels at Letterkenny General Hospital. The party representatives stated their belief that "ongoing Government and HSE cutbacks are now placing an impossible burden on hospital management and staff".

They also expressed concerns that cutbacks are now placing the retention of laundry services within the Hospital apparatus under threat and described any potential outsourcing of those services to the private sector as a "slippery slope to further privatisation".

They said:

"We are very concerned that the ongoing HSE cutbacks are now placing an impossible burden on hospital management and staff. Apparently, the positions of up to 100 staff at Letterkenny General Hospital on temporary contracts are now under threat. If these reports materialise, how can the hospital be expected to maintain existing levels of professionalism, safety, and basic services in this environment?"

"We are also concerned that the laundry services within the hospital will be privatised. 22 permanent staff will have to be redeployed within the hospital and we ask the question; will they replace staff on temporary contracts? Will jobs actually be lost as a result of this decision? Furthermore, we note our serious concern that this could be a slippery slope to privatisation of other hospital services such as domestic services".

"The bottom line is that basic essential services are now being undermined to pay for the sins of bankers, large reckless developers and financial market gamblers. This Government's policy of cutting our way out of the recession is failing and actually worsening the impact of the mess they have already made for ordinary people and workers"

ENDS