The only issue here should be how to make the ED safer for patients and in order to achieve that Management of the hospital have to work with Nurses and make the report available so that both sides are on an equal footing.
19th January 2016- Press Statement.
Councillor Catherine Connolly and member of the Regional Health Forum said she fully supports the request by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organization that the report on the Emergency Department in the Galway Regional Hospital be made available to the nurses.
She said it beggars belief that an independent review sought by the nurses and sanctioned under the Workplace Regulations Commission process has still not been made available to the nurses although Hospital Management was furnished with a draft copy last December.
She said she understands that the external review was commissioned in order to examine the situation on the ground in the Emergency Department including work practices for the sole purposed of identifying areas that needed improvement. Indeed it is further understood she said that the draft report has identified various changes that are required to improve the working environment but particularly patient safety.
Cllr Connolly said given the purpose and content of the report it makes no sense not to make the report available to the nurses so that they can work with hospital management for the benefit of the patient. This is an Emergency Department which the Taoiseach of the Country has said is not fit for purpose!
Cllr Connolly said this is not a way to work with nurses nor is it the best way to engender trust in the public health system which she very much supports.
Indeed it simply reinforces the belief that the HSE West/Saolta Group have something to hide and/or that Management are incapable of learning from mistakes and/or the results of an independent report and working proactively with staff on the ground.
Cllr Connolly said she has no hesitation is supporting the nurses call that the draft report be made available to them as a matter of urgency. Further she has contacted the CEO of Saolta in this regard and if the matter is not resolved she will raise it at the next Regional Health Forum meeting in February.
