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Killarney’s hospital beds could take pressure off UHK

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SIPTU has asked the government to alleviate the overcrowding problem at University Hospital Kerry in Tralee by transferring patients to Killarney. The trade union’s Branch Organiser for Kerry Hospitals, Donie Doody, says there are unused beds in Killarney and these spaces should be utilised to take pressure off of Kerry’s largest hospital.

Speaking to the Killarney Advertiser, Mr Doody said there should be more “coordination” between Kerry’s hospitals.

“At present there are 30 vacant beds in Killarney Community Hospitals. Why are these beds being left vacant when 20 miles away, in University Hospital Kerry, patients are waiting on trolleys for days at a time? It’s a ludicrous situation. Why is it being allowed to happen? Why is there no policy in place to rectify the situation? Why can patients waiting for the fair deal scheme not be transferred to these vacant beds?

“I call on you, Mr Harris, as Minister for Health, to intervene immediately and initiate a policy that would relieve the pressure on beds at UHK and utilise vacant beds available 20 miles away in Killarney.

“The people of Kerry deserve and are entitled to have this situation rectified immediately. The beds are available and urgently need to be utilised.”

The lack of hospital beds in Ireland has been well documented in recent years. 1,600 were lost in the last decade and Ireland’s rate of 2.8 beds per 1,000 people is well below the norm for OECD countries (4.8). On Wednesday, the nationwide figure for people on trolleys waiting for beds was 396, a 23% increase on the same day last year. There are currently 14 people waiting for beds in Tralee.

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO), which collects the figures, says that the problem is caused by a lack of nursing staff and limited bed capacity in hospitals. In University Hospital Limerick, for example, there are over 70 unfilled nursing vacancies.

INMO General Secretary, Phil Ní Sheaghdha, said: “These are genuinely startling figures to see in summertime. It’s only July, and our hospitals are already way over capacity. Nurses will be looking to winter with a sense of dread. A decade ago we’d call this a national emergency, but it’s the new normal in our broken health service.

“Capacity simply has to increase. The government must make it a priority to fill nursing vacancies urgently. That won’t happen without the pay rise that nurses have earned. I worry that if pay stays low and conditions worsen, more nurses will be forced out of our health services.”

What do you think? Should Killarney’s vacant hospital beds be used to alleviate the problems at University Hospital Kerry? Let us know by emailing newsdesk@killarneyadvertiser.ie.

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Chamber pays tribute to late Dick Henggeler

Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce has expressed condolences following the death of Dick Henggeler, the well-known owner of The Rose Hotel in Tralee. Mr Henggeler passed away peacefully at […]

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Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce has expressed condolences following the death of Dick Henggeler, the well-known owner of The Rose Hotel in Tralee.

Mr Henggeler passed away peacefully at his home in Baltimore, USA surrounded by his Aghadoe-born wife Eibhlin (née Moriarty), their son Franz, and other family members.
Dick and Eibhlin purchased The Rose Hotel in 2015 in tribute to their late daughter Dorothy, who represented Washington DC in the 2011 Rose of Tralee Festival.
The Chamber said Mr Henggeler would be remembered for his warmth, good nature and positive approach, as well as for being a forward-thinking and knowledgeable businessman.
“He knew how to run a good hotel and that was and still is very obvious at The Rose Hotel, which is a great success story,” the Chamber said.
It added that continuity of ownership will remain in place, with Eibhlin, Franz, daughter-in-law Amber, and grandchildren Conrad and Rowan continuing to honour Dick’s legacy and vision for the hotel.
“Dick took enormous personal pride in Tralee and all of Kerry and he was always available to generously support any community initiative or endeavour undertaken in Killarney,” the Chamber said.
“He will be greatly missed by all that knew him but he leaves a wonderful legacy.”

He will repose at O’Shea’s Funeral Home, Killarney, on Friday (October 17), from 4:00pm to 6:00pm. The funeral will arrive at St Mary’s Cathedral on Saturday morning at 10:00am for Requiem Mass at 10:30am, with burial afterwards in Aghadoe Cemetery. The Requiem Mass will be live streamed at https://www.churchservices.tv/killarneycathedral.

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Beaufort Film Night returns with French drama-comedy

Beaufort Film Night will return on Friday (October 17) at Cullina National School, with a screening of the French drama-comedy The Marching Band. The film tells the story of Thibaut, […]

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Beaufort Film Night will return on Friday (October 17) at Cullina National School, with a screening of the French drama-comedy The Marching Band.

The film tells the story of Thibaut, a successful conductor recently diagnosed with leukaemia. A search for a bone marrow donor reveals that he was adopted and has a brother, Jimmy, a cafeteria worker.
The two meet, discover a shared love of music, and form a strong bond through an unexpected collaboration with Jimmy’s workplace band.
The Marching Band (French title En Fanfare) will screen at 8.30pm. Admission is €7, cash only, and will cover the motion picture licence fee.
The film has a 12A rating and is in French with English subtitles.
Beaufort Film Night is a non-profit community group that screens cultural English and international films that usually do not receive general release in Kerry.
The event is supported by Kerry County Council Arts Office and Access Cinema. Cullina National School is providing the venue.
Further details are available on Beaufort Film Night’s Facebook page @BeaufortFilmNight.

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