Irish Examiner view: Leadership is in short supply at the HSE
The issues raised by the 'Irish Examiner' on Thursday range from waiting list figures to consultants’ working hours and staffing levels at the proposed new children's hospital. iStock
This newspaper drew attention yesterday to a number of issues in the health services, from waiting list figures to consultants’ working hours and on to staffing levels at the proposed new children’s hospital.
Then we had that hardy annual, the number of patients on trolleys in our hospitals.
Those issues show in their variety the challenge of a modern health system, and the way in which one element of that system can have an impact on other elements, complicating matters considerably.
To take the example of the new children’s hospital, a group of surgeons has pointed out that the recommended increase in paediatric surgeons has not been included in the definitive business case for the new hospital, yet it is difficult to discern who is in charge of staffing levels for that hospital.
Similarly, we reported that recent figures issued by the HSE point to 14,221 children being overdue an assessment this year, which is up 60% on last year — but again, even when this matter was raised in Dáil Éireann there was no indication as to who is responsible for addressing this.
Ultimately, the buck now stops with Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, who proposed in recent days that the problem of hospital congestion might be helped by consultants working weekends and bank holiday Saturdays.
However, the minister was unable to offer any clarity on the proposals to fund hormone replacement treatment for women; though this was promised for January, she pleaded for more time to deal with the delay.
The general impression is that, for a system with plenty of managers at all levels, leadership is in short supply.
Irish Examiner Health Correspondent Niamh Griffin cited a telling contribution from Grace Rothwell, now the national director of acute hospitals, on dealing with hospital overcrowding: “I will say that it is not a one-size-fits-all, but very much — in my opinion — it is about having somebody in charge, it’s about knowing who is in the house.”
This sounds like an approach that would help in quite a few areas of our health service.
Readers will recall the terrible tragedy which occurred in Creeslough in Donegal in October 2022.
Ten people — four men, three women, and three children, ranging in age from five to 59 — died in an explosion which ripped through a service station in the village and a nearby apartment block.
The incident stunned the entire country, and on the second anniversary of the blast, then-taoiseach Simon Harris said: “The people of Donegal, and indeed the entire country, will never forget the shock and sadness that emerged on what can only be described as one of the darkest days for our country.”
Vivo Shell Limited has now submitted plans to demolish the existing building and replace it with a new service station on the same site, and Donegal County Council has granted permission for that redevelopment.
The insensitivity involved here is hard to fathom for families who are still coming to terms with their horrifying losses.
Lawyers acting for those families in the Creeslough explosion said it was “difficult to comprehend a more insensitive and morally bankrupt decision in recent times”, and it is equally difficult to argue against this summary.
The developers have trotted out the line that “much consideration and thought has gone into the application to be respectful towards all”, but the families involved are surely the arbiters of what is respectful in this case.
When their lawyers pointed out that those families only learned of the redevelopment plans from the media in Donegal, that was a clearer indication of the respect with which they are being treated.
The 10 people who lost their lives in Creeslough deserve a better memorial than a service station being rebuilt on the same site. This shows a shocking lack of respect for those people and their families, and their families’ lawyers made a valid point: It would be unthinkable to see either Grenfell Tower or the Stardust nightclub rebuilt and resuming business as usual. The same goes for Creeslough.
The death was announced this week of Willie Walsh, former Bishop of Killaloe. He was 90.
A native of Roscrea, Tipperary, Walsh was nonetheless long associated with Clare, going back to his schooldays at St Flannan’s College in Ennis: In retirement he lived just across the road from the famous school.
Walsh was a popular figure in Clare for many years, aided by a natural humility.
When historical sex abuse cases involving many Catholic Church organisations emerged in the 90s, the moral authority of the Church was rightly undermined.
As a consequence of those revelations, in 1999, Walsh — then a bishop — undertook a pilgrimage of reconciliation across the county of Clare.
He spent three weeks visiting all the parishes in the diocese on foot in a gesture of solidarity with those abused and betrayed by the Church.
His popularity in the county was boosted by his involvement in sport, specifically hurling. Walsh spent many years coaching teams in St Flannan’s and was a Clare senior hurling selector in the mid-90s.
His interest in the game never faded and he was present at this year’s Harty Cup final, which his beloved St Flannan’s lost to Thurles CBS, earlier this month at Mallow.
Ar dheis dé go raibh a anam.
