STOP THE CUTS: - Save St.John's A&E, - Stop Co-location at the Regional (PUBLIC FORUM)

Come to the Public Forum: Tuesday, July 29th, 7:45pm, Pery's Hotel, Limerick

On Tuesday July 29th, a public health forum will be held in Pery's Hotel, Glentworth Street at 7:45pm to discuss the health cuts and crisis in the mid-west and to try to launch a campaign against them.

Titled "Stop the Cuts: Save St.John's A&E, No to Co-location at the Regional" the forum will hear from prominent local and national health workers and campaigners, including local consultant and opponent of co-locaton, Dr. Gerry Burke. Also speaking at the forum will be Ciaran O'Dea of the Ennis Hospital Action Group and Michael Murphy of the Campaign for a Real Public Health Service (CRPHS), which is organising the event. The Nenagh Hospital Action Group, Friends of St.Itas as well as the general public are also invited.

The forum comes just after the announcement that two new units at St.Ita's hospital in Newcastle West, costing a total of €4.5 million, may lie idle indefinitely due to lack of HSE funding for staffing. It also will take place amidst growing unease regarding the future of St.John's A&E, as well as those in Ennis and Nenagh.

Speaking about the forum, Michael Murphy, national organiser of the CRPHS said: "Our public health service is under attack, not least in the Mid-West where three public A&Es face Harney's axe, whilst three private hospitals are being built. This meeting is a great chance to hear from those involved in the health service about the impact of the cuts, co-location and privatisation. With a quarter of beds at St.John's hospital already gone, and 112 more hospital jobs being cut in Limerick, now is the time to build an active campaign, locally and nationally."

The Campaign for a Real Public Health Service was established at a National Conference organised in April which included a wide array of health campaigners, from Peadar McMahon of the Monaghan Hospital Action Group to health analyst Marie O'Connor. According to Mr. Murphy the conference "was organised following a mass meeting in Dublin addressed by Prof. John Crown, Dr. Orla Hardiman and Joe Higgins. The conference agreed to launch the campaign around the country. The group in Cork has already organised a protest of 500 calling on the government to open the Mercy A&E. This forum is a step towards building a similar, strong action group in Limerick, to work with others in the Mid-West to build a movement for a top quality public health service."

PDF of Limerick Health Forum Leaflet 0.07 Mb