- Target:
- Minister for Health and Health Service Executive
- Region:
- Ireland
THE GOVERNMENT RECENTLY ANNOUNCED FURTHER CUTS TO FRONTLINE HEALTH SERVICES IN A BID TO HELP SOLVE THE HSE'S CHRONIC OVER SPENDING, RESULTING IN 8 MILLION OR ROUGHLY 450000 HOME HELP HOURS BEING LOST BY CHRISTMAS 2012.
THESE ACTIONS ARE NOT ONLY GOING TO ENDANGER OUR CLIENTS LIVES BUT ARE ALSO IN BREACH OF AGREEMENTS MADE IN THE CROKE PARK AGREEMENT TO USE DIRECT LABOUR.
THE EFFECTS OF THIS LATEST ATTACK WILL BE THE DESTRUCTION OF THE LEVEL AND QUALITY OF HEALTHCARE SERVICES AND THE SEVERE UNDERMINING OF THE BASIC LIVELIHOODS OF STAFF WHO DELIVER THESE SERVICES. 500000 HOME HELP HOURS HAVE ALREADY BEEN CUT EARLIER THIS YEAR.
A SERIES OF PRE AND POST ELECTION PROMISES FROM HEALTH MINISTER DR. JAMES REILLY AS FOLLOWS:
ON MAY 9TH 2011, JUST MONTHS INTO POWER, DR. REILLY TOLD REPORTERS AT THE LAUNCH OF THE IRISH LONGITUDINAL STUDY ON AGEING; "I WILL BE DOING EVERYTHING I CAN TO ENSURE THAT, NOT ALONE ARE THERE NO CUTS TO HOME HELP BUT WE WILL GET AN INCREASE IN HOME HELP HOURS FOR PEOPLE."
"THAT HOME HELP MAINTAINS PEOPLE AT HOME GIVING THEM DIGNITY AND INDEPENDENCE AND ALSO SAVING THE TAXPAYER A LOT OF MONEY"
THESE PROMISES AND STATEMENTS THAT SERVICES WOULD BE PROTECTED SEEM TO BE COMPLETELY MISLEADING TO SAY THE VERY LEAST.
THESE CUTS ARE MORALLY UNACCEPTABLE AND WITHOUT AN OUNCE OF LOGIC AS IT COSTS SIGNIFICANTLY MORE TO OUTSOURCE OUR JOBS TO PRIVATE "FOR PROFIT" COMPANIES OR TO HAVE OUR CLIENTS PUT INTO NURSING HOMES OR HOSPITALS.
TO THIS END, WE HOME HELPS, UNITED AS A GROUP OF COMMITTED FRONTLINE HSE STAFF HAVE DECIDED TO CAMPAIGN FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR JOBS AND OUR CLIENTS NEEDS IN MAINTAINING THEIR INDEPENDENCE AND DIGNITY IN THEIR OWN HOMES.
PLEASE SHOW YOUR SUPPORT BY SIGNING OUR ONLINE PETITION AND JOINING OUR CAUSE AND PLEASE INVITE YOUR FRIENDS TO DO SO.
We, the undersigned call on the Irish Government, the Minister for Health and the HSE for a reversal of the cuts already made to the home help service and an immediate stop to further cuts of 450,000 hours proposed by the end of the year, in order to leave some of the most vulnerable people in our society in the safety, security and dignity of their own homes.
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The Save Our Home Help Service petition to Minister for Health and Health Service Executive was written by Ellie O'Driscoll and is in the category Health at GoPetition.