Watch: Healthcare staff problems ‘confounded' in rural areas
Speaking at the Irish Rural Link healthcare conference in Athlone yesterday (May 9), the TD and GP told Agriland that access to services is also a problem in rural healthcare.
He said: 'Access if the biggest issue for rural healthcare. What we mean by that, is having an adequate number of healthcare professionals in rural communities, whether it's GPs, nurses, or most importantly, carers.
'One of the big issues that we don't often think about when we think of health, is rural links. So transport, many older people can't drive and they need to be able to get to the local hospital.'
'It's all about delivering the most appropriate care, in the most appropriate style, and it should be close to peoples home,' the Roscommon – Galway TD explained.
Fianna Fáil health spokesperson, Martin Daly speaks about rural healthcare
Family Carers Ireland's Vicky Ward told the conference that often carers in rural Ireland put 'their own health on the back burner' in order to help the person they are caring for.
She said: 'In a lot of cases people can't access that care locally. We find, that every single issue that is out there for the general population is compounded for a family carer.
'Because, to be able to address their own ill health, they have to find somebody to care for their loved one, so that they can even go to a doctor's appointment,' she added.
Rural healthcare services
The keynote speaker at the conference Professor Robert Scully also highlighted that there is a need to increase the number of general practitioners (GPs) in rural areas, and outlined solutions to the problem.
The first area Prof. Scully highlighted for change, was to increase 'targeted recruitment' of GPs in rural areas.
In order to do this, he believes that students need to be exposed to appropriate role models, and for their to be a retention strategy to keep GPs in rural areas.
The professor also believes that doctors need to be trained 'differently' to work in rural areas versus an urban location and medical students need to be educated about rural issues, such as farming accidents.
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The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- The Irish Sun
Parents of boy, 9, who died while waiting for life-saving op to take to Dublin streets in protest & make march plea
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Sunday World
2 days ago
- Sunday World
Protest march highlighting death of Harvey Sherratt (9) and spinal surgery crisis to take place in Dublin
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'We're not going to go away,' said Ms Sherratt. Asked what she wanted Harvey's legacy to be, Ms Sherratt replied: 'It literally should be, for these children to get the care that they are entitled to, and that they bloody deserve.' Disability rights campaigner, Bernard Mulvany, opened a GoFundMe account to raise funds to stage the 'Justice For Harvey' demonstration on August 23rd. Gillian Sheratt and Stephen Morrison with their son Harvey Sherratt when he was aged 3. Picture: Gerry Mooney News in 90 Seconds - August 15th 'Any outstanding funds (will be) given over to Harvey's family for them to administrate. Please help us to celebrate Harvey's life and to shine a light on how he and many other children in our society are being failed,' Mr Mulvany said. Donations can be made via utm_campaign=natman_sharesheet_dash&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link&attribution_id=sl:aecc7c47-22ef-4b60 ba6e-4abdcffb8a4f Gillian Sherratt called on the Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, to 'recall the Dáil' from its summer recess early, to debate the ongoing crisis in children's spinal surgery. Ms Sherratt called on Mr Martin to support her and her husband's call for a public inquiry into governance of orthopaedic services at CHI. Ms Sherratt and Mr Morrison called on Tanaiste and leader of the Fine Gael party, Simon Harris, to resign over the debacle. In 2017, when he was serving as Minister for Health, Mr Harris said he was 'ashamed' of the prolonged waiting lists, and he pledged that 'no child' would wait longer than four months for scoliosis surgery. Harvey Sherratt waited seven years for his spinal surgery, including 33 months on and off an active waiting list. Despite Mr Harris's failed 2017 health pledge, as well as his predecessors, ex-Fianna Fáil TD Stephen Donnelly, and current health minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, also pledging to tackle the scoliosis scandal, dozens of children continue to wait more than four months for spinal surgery. Near the end, wheelchair-bound Harvey, from Clondalkin, Dublin, could no longer sit for any long periods in his chair, as scoliosis twisted his ribcage, putting pressure on his heart and lungs. Read more In February 2024, seventeen months prior to Harvey's death, his father explained that the curvature on his son's spine had extended so much he was at increased risk of death unless he received a timely surgical intervention. Desperate to highlight his son's ordeal then, Mr Sherratt pleaded for his son's surgery and said: 'Harvey will die. He absolutely needs the surgery.' Six months later, in August 2024, Harvey's mother discovered that despite their public calls for Harvey's surgery, her deteriorating son was inexplicably no longer on CHI's active surgery waiting list. Then the Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil party leader Micheál Martin, described Harvey's disappearance from the waiting list without his parents consent or knowledge was 'shocking' and 'not good enough', and he said CHI should 'apologise' to Harvey's family 'and arrange a surgery'. Harvey eventually had his spinal surgery in December 2024, eight years after his parents were first informed by a consultant surgeon that Harvey would require the operation to prevent his spine crushing his ribcage and killing him. Gillian Sherratt said that by the time Harvey actually had his surgery, his spinal curve was so extended it could not be fully corrected, nevertheless the surgery helped provide Harvey with an additional eight months of life. The boy's health suddenly deteriorated two and half weeks ago and he died on July 29th. Harvey's death refocused the spotlight on the scoliosis waiting list scandal and concerns expressed by Harvey's parents, as well as scoliosis and spina bifida advocacy groups, around governance at CHI. Gillian Sherratt said that more children, like Harvey, who have 'complex' health issues and require 'timely access' to surgery are still not receiving adequate treatment at CHI. According to latest data published by CHI, 74 children were waiting longer than four months for spinal surgery, as of the end of July. A further 57 children were waiting up to three months. One child was waiting more than four years. Out of a total of 231 children waiting for spinal surgery nationally, 131 children were on CHI's 'active' surgery waiting list, previously occupied by Harvey Sherratt before his name disappeared from the list without explanation. In response to calls to resign, the Tanaiste, Simon Harris, said he did previously make representations on Harvey Sherratt's behalf to the Department of Health and to CHI, but, he said, he had always maintained that any medical intervention would have to be clinician-led. A spokesperson for Mr Harris said the Fine Gael leader had spoken to Gillian Sherratt and they were planning on meeting soon. The Tánaiste's spokeswoman said Mr Harris had also sought, through Minister MacNeill, a full multidisciplinary report on the timeline of care provided to Harvey.
Agriland
4 days ago
- Agriland
Rise in summer scour cases on dairy-beef farms in recent weeks
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