GREATER FLEXIBILITY ON HSE EMBARGO TO BENEFIT GALWAY

Date Published: 16-Jan-2012

Health Minister James Reilly has promised 'greater flexibility' around the HSE recruitment embargo which is impacting heavily on the Galway hospital group.

Five ward nurses are expected to retire next month from the orthopaedic unit at Merlin Park hospital while some staff that work at the Departments operating rooms are also retiring.

The 25 bed orthopaedic ward should have 21 nurses but currently operates with 16, and by the end of February it will only have 11.

Hospital consultants are warning that the retirement of these nurses will mean half the beds will have to close and waiting lists for surgery will increase by 300 percent.

Speaking to Galway Bay fm News, Minister Reilly says the HSE has already implemented new measures to deal with staff shortages.