Media Watch May 05/21 18/04/2005 10:37 Page 1 Media Watch Driven to protest Anger at the A&E current A&E unit are already working at going to get worse unless there is major burnout levels and have to take time off to investment”. crisis continues to avoid risking the health of the patients Around the country because of their own exhaustion”. The Student nurses at St James’s and Beau- dominate the negotiations were on-going at a time mont Hospital, Dublin protested outside when “the hospital was forced to turn their hospitals to highlight non payment headlines. Ann away “walking wounded patients”in order of allowances.These stories were carried Keating reports on to bring dangerous levels of overcrowding in The Sun (March 12), Irish Daily Mirror under control”as reported in the Irish Inde- (March 12); Irish Daily Star ( March 12). this and other issues pendent (March 9) and in the Examiner The Tipperary Star (March 12) reported (March 9) under Doctor shuts over- that the INO had withdrawn from talks THE MONTH of March began with news crowded A&E and the Irish Times (March regarding the transfer of services from Our that the Health and Safety Authority was 9) – Cork forced to close it’s A&E facility. Lady’s Cashel to South Tipperary General to conduct safety inspections of 11 hospi- Local elections Hospital under the heading Nurses with- tal A&E units around the country and Phil Ní Sheaghdha and Tony Fitzpatrick draw from Cashel talks.Tony Fitzpatrick while the INO welcomed this move it were quoted in several newspapers in the said: “Members at the Cashel site are wanted them carried out without warning. run up to the local elections as they extremely dissatisfied that the HSE South Liam Doran, INO general secretary, was described problems in the health services East and the Department of Health and quoted in many papers on this issue, in their local areas – Irish Times (March 3) – Children are attempting to walk away along with coverage of the INO trolley Candidates learn health lessons on from promises, and commitments given to watch, including: the Evening Echo (March doorsteps; Irish Farmers’ Journal (March both staff and the people of South Tipper- 3) – Safety authority to inspect Mercy 12) – Traffic,Trolleys and Toddlers. ary in 1995”.The story was also covered in A&E and the Irish Examiner (March 3) – David Hughes, INO deputy general sec- the Munster Express (March 18). Safety teams to inspect 11 A&E units. retary, was reported in many papers Nurse representative Therese Gallagher In the Irish Daily Star (March 4) under following a meeting of the LRC Forum in from Letterkenny was profiled in an article Call for sneak A&E checks – INO general early March including the Irish Indepen- in the Donegal News Derry People (March secretary, Liam Doran said:“It is vital these dent (March 5) under the headline 18) – A profession of caring. inspections be carried out without warn- Overcrowded A&Es set to spark Lunchtime protests ing to ensure the authority’s inspectors protests by angry nurses – “There was At the March meeting of the Executive see the full extent and implications of nothing said which would lead us to Council, with 345 patients on trolleys that overcrowding”. believe the numbers of people waiting on day, a decision was taken to begin protests On the same issue there were reports in trolleys in our A&E departments every day outside A&E departments affected by the the Irish Examiner (March 4) under A&E this year would decrease”.The story was overcrowding crisis around the country. report must make proposals, says also reported in the Irish Examiner (March The campaign was named ‘Enough is consultant; Donegal News Derry People 9) and the Donegal Democrat (March 10), Enough’.This was widely covered in the (March 4) – Anger as hospital not on to name but a few. media prior to the meeting and following spot check list; Galway City Tribune (March Many stories were reported in the it. David Hughes was quoted in the Irish 4) – Hospital A&E set to have safety papers over the next few days of patients Times (March 23) “Aside from singing a inspection; News of the World (March 6) – languishing in A&E departments. In the mantra that the Tanaiste’s 10 point plan Safety Swoops on A&Es. Evening Herald (March 8) – Catalogue of will solve the problem, there was no real The Irish Examiner (March 5) carried a human misery as A&E nightmare wors- evidence of priority action on the A&E story regarding the opening of a new pri- ens – Edward Mathews was quoted “the issue”. vate hospital in Galway which had the staff felt they were working in conditions In a story on foreign workers, Liam country’s first private casualty department akin to an overburdened field hospital”; in Doran was quoted in the Irish Independent under the headline Patients at new the Irish Daily Star (March 8) Patient faces (March 26) – Working in Ireland getting casualty clinic to pay e200. Meanwhile Day 4 in Chair; Irish Times (March 8) – bad name – “The poor treatment of some the INO received wide coverage on the Woman (73) lying on Mater Hospital Filipino nurses by a number of employers negotiations for adequate staffing levels trolley for five days. In the Drogheda here had led to a negative image of the for the new A&E Unit at Cork University Independent (March 4) under Casualty cri- country as a place to work for nurses”. Hospital. Patsy Doyle was quoted in the sis forcing local patients to Newry – Ann Keating is INO Media Relations Officer Evening Echo (March 9) – “Nurses at CUH’s Tony Fitzpatrick said:“The situation is only Email: [email protected] WIN May 2005 21.