Families and supporters of respite patients in Cherryorchard Hospital staged a protest outside the HSE headquarters at Dr. Stevens Hospital on Thursday 9th July .
According to local People Before Profit Councillor Brid Smith, "Attempts by management to appease a number of families is just the start of the HSE acknowledgment that closing respite services in Cherryorchard Hospital is unacceptable. We had to go public to highlight the injustice of moving out patients to private care, disrupting their lives and families and at causing them extreme success. The HSE embargo on recruitment is at the root of this problem and all we are asking is that they employ temporary nursing staff for the summer period to cover for annual leave. This must be more efficient and economical than closing units and putting patients into private care. We will keep on the pressure in an effort to make the HSE do the sensible and humane thing in Cherryorchard Hospital."
Thousands of petitions have been collected and were handed into HSE executives at Dr. Stevens Hospital. All support is welcome.
