Mayo hospital controversy over broken leg treatment delay rages on
"Saying sorry isn't enough, people need to know it won't happen again" - Councillor Harry Barrett
A Mayo elected representative has welcomed the apology issued by Mayo University Hospital following the unacceptable delay in treatment experienced by one of his constituents after breaking a leg.
But Councillor Harry Barrett said the people of Mayo now deserve clear answers about what is being done to stop it happening again.
He stated: "I appreciate the hospital coming out and apologising. That was the right thing to do. But saying sorry isn't enough.
"The next question people are asking is very simple. What is being done to make sure another patient isn't left waiting for days for an operation?"
"My young constituent spent almost three days waiting for emergency surgery after breaking his leg in two places.
"Thankfully, he has now had the operation and I wish him a full recovery. But what happened has struck a chord with people all over Mayo because they're asking themselves: 'What if that was me or someone from my own family?'"
Councillor Barrett is now calling on hospital management to issue a further public statement setting out exactly what changes will be made to ensure delays like this are not repeated.
"I've also been contacted by members of staff who have raised concerns about staffing arrangements within the hospital.
"If there is an overtime policy that's making it harder to keep operating theatres fully staffed, then that policy needs to be looked at.
"Common sense has to come into it. If you've patients waiting for surgery and you've surgeons ready to operate, then every effort should be made to keep those theatres open and working at full capacity."
Councillor Barrett also called on the Minister for Health and the HSE to stop delaying the rollout of the Safe Staffing Framework at Mayo University Hospital.
"We've heard enough about safe staffing. It's time to see it on the ground.
"Having enough permanent nurses in place isn't a luxury. It's essential if we're serious about giving people the healthcare they deserve."
He said the focus now has to be on learning from what happened.
"I'm not interested in blaming hardworking doctors or nurses because they're doing their level best every day.
"What I want are answers, I want changes where they're needed, and I want a guarantee that no patient in Mayo will ever be left in this position again. That's what people expect, and rightly so."