Taoiseach blames ‘scarcity’ of specialist staff for diabetic clinic woes

Taoiseach Simon Harris has said a “scarcity of specialist” nursing staff in Ireland is to blame for the ongoing issues at Regional Hospital Mullingar’s paediatric diabetic clinic.

He made the comments in the Dáil on Tuesday, April 17, following queries by Deputy Sorca Clarke and Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice.

The clinic, which caters to 145 diabetic children in the midlands, is feared to be on the brink of closure by parents who have started an online petition to save the service – which has garnered 2,000 signatures in less than a week.

Harris told the Dáil he understands that it's “an important issue”.

“There is a scarcity of specialist-trained paediatric nursing staff,” he said.

“This has posed significant challenges to the continuity of paediatric services at the regional hospital in Mullingar in recent years.

“My understanding is that the hospital has maintained the provision of existing services catering to more than 12,000 children.

Harris also said he had “some positive news on this matter”.

“An interim plan was discussed with the clinical lead at a meeting last week and hospital management has provided a commitment to finalise a solution to address the long,” he said.

The Taoiseach promised to “keep a close eye” on the situation and that he would raise all concerns with Health Minister Stephen Donnelly.

Deputy Sorca Clarke said the ‘positive news’ referred to by Harris was “not entirely correct”.

“With the greatest respect, the information the Taoiseach put on the record of the Dáil is not entirely correct, because that letter was not seen by the clinical lead, Professor O'Grady, until after it had been issued to parents,” she said.

The Sinn Féin TD also said proposals to fix the situation are not good enough.

“The proposed solution that has been put forward today is to move the paediatric diabetes nurse from Portlaoise to Mullingar for a period of three weeks,” she said.

“With the greatest of respect to this lady - I have no doubt she is very good at what she does - I am told that she has no training in pumps or pump management.

“If the 145 children who attend the Mullingar service have an issue with their pump, there is no support available to them.

“The parents, especially of children as young as two years of age who have been recently diagnosed, are beside themselves with worry at this point. They cannot go to their GPs.”

Taoiseach Simon Harris said his information was based on “what my note tells me” and promised to raise Deputy Clarke’s comments with the Health Minister.