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Dublin West BY Election - Blanchardstown Hospital
Labour and Fine Gael need to be rebuked or the cuts to our hospital will continue Minister scareMonGerinG about hospitaL caMpaiGn
M
inister Leo Varadkar has disgracefully attacked the Defend Blanchardstown Hospital Campaign, that involves many hospital staff, claiming it is scaremongering and exaggerating about the threat to the hospital's future.
The cuts to Blanchardstown Hospital “amount to a HSE management sanctioned reduction of hospital services to a level that is no longer safe.” from a letter by 23 consultant doctors at Blanchardstown Hospital
He dismisses the concerns of the doctors, nurses and staff. Ruth Coppinger says, “It is Minister Varadkar who is scaremongering by attacking the motives of the Campaign. It is due the work of the Defend Blanchardstown Hospital Campaign over the last months that the threat to cut the A&E to a 12-hour service has been lifted. The catalogue of cuts below, shows that there is a serious threat to our hospital. We must defend this vital and necessary facility for our expanding community”.
Cllr Ruth Coppinger at Connolly Hospital
ruth coppinger “Money should be given to hospitals THE REal faCTs
not unguaranteed anglo speculators!”
n €20 million in cuts since 2009. n Recently announced - twelve surgical beds closing in Laurel Ward. n Threat to cut the 24 hour A&E to 12 hours only lifted due to pressure created by the campaign. n 16 beds axed in surgical day ward which will cut day surgery drastically. n Day surgeries to be reduced from 30 to 40 a
day to just 10 to 13. n Operations will be cancelled and waiting lists will grow. Fewer beds will mean more patients on trollies and on chairs. n Doctors, nurses, household staff and hospital services will be stretched “to a level that is no longer safe”. n Not scaremongering – Connolly Hospital in serious danger as cuts to get worse.
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Don't endorse Labour & Fine Gael's sickening u-turns on connolly hospital n Joan burton TD (October, 2010) said the "priority for Dublin West [is] making Connolly Hospital a world class medical facility." n Leo Varadkar TD (August, 2010) criticising Fianna Fail cuts at Connolly Hospital said - "These cuts are savage and will impact on patient care. Everyone understands that the country is broke...But a cut back of 12.6% cannot be delivered through efficiencies or reforms in one year. It is too much, too quickly and will result in chaos and suffering for patients and their families.” n Leo Varadkar Minister (October, 13 2011) at a Campaign Public Meeting said - "The truth is that there will be further cuts next year, there has to be. We have to get the budget deficit down...The cuts that are happening this year, the bed closures, are going to happen. They won't be reversed. There will be further cuts...". n patrick nulty, Labour candidate on RTE's Drive Time (28 September, 2011) said - "I will always vote with the Labour Party". That means that if elected, Patrick Nulty will vote for December's austerity budget that will result in more draconian cuts at Connolly Hospital. n That means that his claim that he will fight for our hospital just another empty election promise, like the ones above.
use the by eLection to caMpaiGn For our hospitaL n Get active in the Defend Blanchardstown Hospital Campaign n if Labour or Fine Gael win they will use that to justify more cuts, so don’t give them your vote in this by election. n Instead send a powerful warning to the government - reverse the cuts at Connolly Hospital. n Ruth Coppinger played a very important role in the establishment of the hospital campaign and along with Joe Higgins TD and has supported the hospital over many years.
a Doctor says...
“At the recent information
meeting on Connolly Hospi tal a
Govt. Minister made it clear that the cuts in beds and services for 2011 will not be reversed and
that further cuts to budgets and
inevitably services will follow ...
In my personal opinion those
who care about patient care in Co n-
nolly should seriously reflect
on whether they wish to endors e or
not, such policies when they vote in the coming By-Election.” - eamon Leen, consultant pathologist, connolly hospi tal
a staff member says... “I know Councillor Ruth Coppinger’s record of cam-
paigning for our community over the last ten years. I know she is deeply committed to protecting Connolly Hospital
and urge voters to give her their No. 1 vote and continue
preferences for candidates who are genuinely campaigning for our hospital.” - noel Murray, staff member, connolly hospital
n a massive vote for ruth coppinger in the by election would fundamentally strengthen the case for our hospital and seriously challenge this Government’s disastrous austerity policy.
proper public healthcare for all
Cllr
Ruth
1Coppinger
vote
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