Management at Galway University Hospital say that cuts to their budget for 2009 will have a dangerous impact of the safety of patients and lead to the loss of the cancer centralisation services at the hospital.
The Health Service Executive want budget cutbacks of 15 million euro this year from the University Hospital Galway but management at the hospital have told the HSE that cuts of this level will lead to cutbacks in frontline services.
Management at Galway University Hospital say that cuts to their budget for 2009 will have a dangerous impact of the safety of patients and lead to the loss of the cancer centralisation services at the hospital.
The Health Service Executive want budget cutbacks of 15 million euro this year from the University Hospital Galway but management at the hospital have told the HSE that cuts of this level will lead to cutbacks in frontline services.
There are also fears that the hospital will have to pull out of the National Cancer Control Programme due to the cutbacks…
The University Hospital Galway is one of eight hospitals nationwide set up as centres of excellence for cancer services across the country and caters for patients from Clare, Limerick and all the way up to Donegal.
Galway University Hospitals comprising of UHG in the city centre and Merlin Park Hospital were instructed to make savings of 15 million euro this year in order to come in line with budgets but management say that these savings cannot be achieved without impacting on frontline services.
The hospitals have managed to find savings of 9 million euro but say that cuts of a further 6 million euro will bring risks to staff and patients including the closure of another 60 beds
The General Manager of the hospitals has requested that the matter be brought to the attention of Professor Tom Keane who’s the Director of the National Cancer Control Programme.