Short term staffing solution at paediatric diabetes clinic criticised by parents

The HSE has to find a solution to the staffing issues at the paediatric diabetes clinic at Midlands Regional Hospital Mullingar before it affects the long term health of the 145 children being treated there, a concerned mother has warned.

On Friday, hospital management announced that from yesterday (Monday) morning, an experienced diabetes nurse was joining the team at the clinic on a short-term basis.

The hospital said management had been working “on a range of solutions to address the immediate and longer term challenges that have arisen for the Paediatric Diabetes Service”.

Speaking to the Westmeath Examiner, Castletown Geoghegan mother Janice Reel, whose son Rhian (11) has been a patient at the clinic for the last two years, says that when she and other parents heard that a new paediatric nurse was starting yesterday morning they were relieved.

However, the relief quickly turned to frustration when they found out that the nurse was being temporarily transferred from the diabetes clinic in Portlaoise hospital for a period of only three weeks.

“We thought this was great until we discovered that the nurse has been taken out of the unit in Portlaoise. It’s really taking from Peter to pay Paul. The nurse will be coming into the unit and doesn’t know any of the children.”

Ms Reel says that due to the clinic being understaffed, she had to wait the best part of a week for a response to an email query relating to her son’s treatment. She says that parents are worried about the impact that ongoing staffing issues will have on the health of their children.

“It’s our job as parents to keep our children safe. When you add in diabetes, it [the stress] is 100 times worse.

“There are also the long-term implications for the children, as diabetes can cause severe side effects such as damage to the liver and kidneys, unless its properly managed.”

Ms Reel says the worry caused by the staffing problems at the clinic affects everyone: “It’s the whole family: siblings, grandparents, everyone.”

When the Westmeath Examiner posted the news about the nurse being added to the team on Friday evening, a number of parents echoed Ms Reel’s sentiments on our Facebook page.

One parent said that the letter sent out to parents about the arrival of the nurse was a “pure PR stunt as Stephen Donnelly was being interviewed on Midland 103 about our clinic”.

“Our children are being let down, again and again.”

Another poster described the HSE’s decision to transfer the nurse for three weeks as a “sticky plaster job”.

“HSE kicking the can down the road for three weeks. Back to square one in May again. This is not a solution, far from it.”

Deputy Robert Troy raised the staffing issues at the clinic with Kate Killeen White, the recently appointed regional executive officer (REO ) for the HSE’s new Dublin and Midlands health region, during an online meeting yesterday morning.

“We got confirmation that the business plan submitted by the hospital has been approved. It’s now with REO for decision.

“It was said that it [the decision to transfer the nurse to the clinic in Mullingar] was taken with the full cooperation of Portlaoise.

“I acknowledge that is a temporary solution while a longer term solution is being put in place, but sometimes you need a temporary solution. It’s regrettable that it has been let get this far.”

Deputy Troy added that it is important that the hospital is given to go-ahead to recruit additional staff as soon as possible.

“This is a critical service and there is no opportunity for any slippage in time.”