Further health job cuts will undermine patient care - Ó Caoláin

December 8, 2012

Commenting on news that a Department of Health report presents the prospect of a further cut of 3,500 jobs from the health services, Sinn Féin Health spokesperson Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin TD said:

“The Department of Health presents the prospect of a further 3,500 jobs from the health services being cut.

“This comes the week after the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation published a report showing that Irish hospitals are seriously under-staffed and that under-staffing is affecting patient care.

“With the recruitment ban still in place the health service has been using expensive agency staff, which is a false economy, and now faces even further staff cuts.

“Like the nearly €800 million to be cut from the Health Budget by the Fine Gael/Labour Coalition in 2013, staff cuts on this scale are not sustainable.”