A LEADING hospital consultant who ran for election for Fine Gael said he has become “demoralised” by the situation in the health services and is concerned about patient safety as doctors are increasingly over-worked.
Dr John Barton, a cardiologist at Portiuncula hospital in Ballinasloe, said there has been a 20% work increase at that hospital since the closure of Roscommon’s emergency department, and hit out at the Government’s handling of the situation.
The doctor who devised the concept of the universal health system, as promised in the Fine Gael manifesto, said he may move on from his position because of the crisis in the sector. According to Dr Barton, services at Portiuncula were already stretched, but now, things are even worse.
“We have four physicians for a large hospital with a heavy workload, when we should have about six or seven. You now have the situation where doctors in Roscommon aren’t that busy, and doctors in Ballinasloe are even more stretched than they were,” he said. (Examiner) >
A LEADING hospital consultant who ran for election for Fine Gael said he has become “demoralised” by the situation in the health services and is concerned about patient safety as doctors are increasingly over-worked.
Dr John Barton, a cardiologist at Portiuncula hospital in Ballinasloe, said there has been a 20% work increase at that hospital since the closure of Roscommon’s emergency department, and hit out at the Government’s handling of the situation.
The doctor who devised the concept of the universal health system, as promised in the Fine Gael manifesto, said he may move on from his position because of the crisis in the sector.
According to Dr Barton, services at Portiuncula were already stretched, but now, things are even worse.
“We have four physicians for a large hospital with a heavy workload, when we should have about six or seven. You now have the situation where doctors in Roscommon aren’t that busy, and doctors in Ballinasloe are even more stretched than they were,” he said.
“We have been given no additional resources to deal with the additional work.
“It is unfair on the people, throwing 80 and 90-year-olds in the backs of ambulances and driving them up and down the country and then back to Roscommon the next day.”
Dr Barton said the government should have devised a plan before closing the emergency department.
“The Government should have gone to HIQA and said yes we will do this, but only when we have a structured plan for the development of services. They should have taken time to think instead of creating problems elsewhere which is what they have done.”
He said that though he was a “committed public servant”, he feels worn out.
“It is very upsetting and demoralising when you can’t see your patients as often as you would like to. I am 57 now and I am the oldest of the four physicians here. I never considered retiring before 65 before, but I am worn out. I am working a 12-hour day, way beyond my contractual obligations, and when you are under such stress and pressure you have to question the safety of care and that’s the thing that really bothers me. People deserve better. My greatest concern is for patients. Something has got to give.”
According to the consultant, the Government inherited a legacy of 15 years of misrule, but he said he feels “left out” at the moment.
“I understand the minister is working on an internal small hospital policy document, but right now I do feel left out in the cold.”
Filed under: John Barton, Portiuncula Tagged: Services
