CAMPAIGN TO STOP CUTS AT CHERRYORCHARD HOSPITAL CONTINUES
Protest March Friday 24 July
Management at Cherry Orchard Hospital confirmed today that up to 20 beds have been closed in the hospital. Patients in receipt of respite care have been moved out of the hospital to private nursing homes in Maynooth and Lucan.
Between 20 and 25 families in the West Dublin area will be affected by this move of patients to private nursing homes. The HSE, despite pleas from management at Cherry Orchard, have refused to recruit the extra nursing staff required to keep respite services in the hospital. Instead they are paying the full commercial rate for private care for public patients.
People Before Councillor, Brid Smith, who is leading the campaign to save the respite services, spoke to management today who confirmed that they cannot guarantee that the beds will re-open in Cherry Orchard in October, as originally stated by the HSE.
According to Councillor Smith "We have the support of SIPTU and the Carers Association on this issue. It is fundamentally wrong that the HSE are willing to put our loved ones out of the community into private care and not willing to employ the extra staff required to keep all beds in Cherry Orchard. With over 400,000 unemployed it is a crazy decision. It is also cruel because these patients are mainly Alzheimer sufferers and this move is causing them and their families great distress. The local campaign will continue until we get all beds re-opened in Cherry Orchard. The HSE must be forced to take people off the dole rather than wasting public money on private beds."
A protest march will take place in Ballyfermot tomorrow Friday 24th July at 3pm from Kylemore Roundabout to CherryOrchard Hospital.
For further information contact Brid Smith at 087 9090166
