Protest at Cherryorchard Hospital over cuts
dublin |
miscellaneous |
news report 
Wednesday April 16, 2008 19:32
by PBPA - People Before Profit Alliance
pbp_dse at yahoo dot ie
0879090166
A large and lively protest took place today outside Cherryorchard Hospital by carers, patients and supporters in the Ballyfermot area. Two weeks ago carers who look after their loved ones at home were told by phone calls from the HSE that roll-over respite care had been cut due to budgetary constraints.
The impact of these health cuts mean that over 50 families in the Ballyfermot area alone will not receive any respite care for the foreseeable future. Their lives and the lives of their patients will be severly affected. Carers do a job that save the health service billions of euro each year. This cutback is hitting the most vunerable of people in our communities.
Brid Smith the local rep for the People for Before Profit Alliance who organised the protest said, “These cutbacks are inhuman. There is outrage in our community over this and todays protest is the first of many that carers and the wider community will engage in to force the HSE to rescind these cuts. The HSE should look to its own back door and the money that is paid out each year in massive salaries and bonus payments to over 600 senior management. In the long run these cuts will cost our health service dearly as many families will be unable to sustain home care and may have to place their loved ones in full time hospital or nursing home care. It is only people power can that stop these cuts and it is time to put people before profit.”
Anthony Butler who lives on Decies Road and cares for his mother at home said, “Both my mother and I rely completely on the respite service. If this cut is allowed to proceed I worry for our mental health and I will find it impossible to maintain home caring for my mother. It is time for the people to stand up together and stay on the streets until the Government listen to us.”
To listen to carers speak on RTE Radio 1 about the protest visit: http://peoplebeforeprofitdse.wordpress.com
Comments (5 of 5)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5Report on RTE News on Hospital cuts protest:
Visit http://peoplebeforeprofitdse.wordpress.com to watch the clip
Today the HSE in Cherryorchard Hospital phoned individual carers who avail of respite care and were due to have it cut by end of May, that the cuts had been rescinded. Social workers informed carers that the budget was now in place to fully restore the roll-over respite service.
The campaign against the cuts in respite care welcomes this developement. Speaking today Brid Smith of the People Before Profit Alliance in the area, said "It was the carers themselves and the wider community, particularly in Ballyfermot who have brought about this u-turn by the HSE. Petitions, protests, public meetings and a media campaign have pulled the community together to fully support the carers."
As of now there has been no public or written statement to the Carers that the service is reinstated.
The march due to take place tomorrow from Ballyfermot church to Cherryorchard Hospital will go ahead as planned at 3pm. Carers and their families want a written guarantee from the HSE that respite beds will not be closed and that there will be no future attempt to cut this service.
This campaign also wants to show support for other carers and patients across Dublin whose respite services are being cut in Baggot Street and Leopardstown hospitals.
This protest is supported by all local community groups, churches and political parties.
A large crowd of people from Ballyfermot, Clondalkin and Palmerstown took part in a Victory protest today to mark the re-instatement of respite beds in CherryOrchard Hospital. Carers, their families, patients and the wider community learned from the HSE yesterday that intended cuts to the roll over respite service had been rescinded.
The protest went ahead to ensure that the HSE do not renege on their committment to respite care and to protest at the cuts in respite in Leopardstown and Baggot Street. The protest also carried messages for Mary Harney and the HSE to demand a free public health service for all.
According to one of the organisers, Brid Smith of the People Before Profit Alliance "This is a major victory for People Power. All credit for this U turn by the HSE is due to the carers, their families and the wider community. Attention wa drawn to these cuts by the national media and sparked huge anger among the local community. All local community groups, churches and politicans got behind the campaign and have shown that threw unity, determination and people power we can achieve sucess in the face of inhuman and outrageous cuts by the HSE."
"This campaign will not go away and will be watching closely the progress in Cherryorchard Hospital to ensure that no cuts are implemented in any of the services. We will also be linking in with protests against the respite cuts in Leopardstown and Baggot Street Hospitals and the national campaign organised by the trade union movement for a free, public health service for all."
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT BRID SMITH AT 087 9090166
It seems Sinn Fein deserve the credit for this one?
Published: 25 April, 2008
Speaking in Dublin today Sinn Féin Councillor Louise Minihan announced that the HSE have reversed their decision to cut the respite services in Cherry Orchard Hospital following weeks of campaigning by Sinn Féin, the carers, their families and other organisations.
Cllr. Minihan said “This is a great day for the carers and their families. These people provide an invaluable service to our communities and actually save the government money that would otherwise have been spent on nursing care. I would like to thank the people of Ballyfermot and elsewhere who provided tremendous support for this campaign. When the HSE announced that the respite service will continue as normal from the 23rd of May it was a victory for the people and for common sense.
“What has happened today shows that when we make enough noise our voices will be heard. Sinn Féin will continue to campaign on such issues as the cuts to the Mental Health Service, and to the Speech and Therapy Service for young children who are especially vulnerable to HSE cutbacks, as part of our overall campaign for an equitable and efficient single-tier health service. ENDS
I think that all groups involved deserve credit for this- the carers themselves, People Before Profit Alliance, Sinn Fein and many others.
Listen to carers speak on rte radio one on the topic.
See:http://peoplebeforeprofitdse.wordpress.com/2008/04/16/p...cuts/
Brid Smith of People Before Profit Alliance was very prominent in this campaign.
Well done to all involved- an important victory.
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