CUH clinical directors and consultants back CEO after 'unsafe' comments
Clinical directors and consultants at Cork University Hospital have publicly supported their CEO's warnings regarding unsafe conditions caused by severe staffing shortages. The medical staff are calling for urgent government action to address recruitment delays.
Why it matters
The public alignment of hospital leadership and clinical staff underscores the severity of the healthcare crisis and the potential risks to patient safety.
The clinical directors and consultants say patients are unable to get appointments, and services are becoming increasingly fragile due to the inability to match staff with patient demand.
Senior clinical directors and consultants at Cork University Hospital (CUH) have written to the HSE in support of their chief executive after she issued a stark warning about patient safety.
CUH chief executive Jennifer Kearney wrote to HSE South West management earlier this week, warning of unsafe conditions due to a shortage of more than 1,000 staff, inadequate staffing limits, and slow recruitment processes.
The clinical directors have now fully backed Ms Kearney’s stance and shared their support with HSE area manager Priscilla Lynch.
Doctors have also warned of the crisis facing patients and echoed concerns about recruitment delays, which are causing a "real risk to safety" even though winter pressures are still months away.
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