Shannondoc the company which provides an “out-of-hours” medical service in the Midwest, servicing 275,000 people last year, has posted an annual loss of €66,329. The company in 2007 recorded a slight profit of €5,800 after sustaining a loss of €40,715 in 2006.
However, according to recent accounts filed with the Companies Office by Shannondoc Ltd, the company last year sustained this loss despite increasing its income from €5.7 million to €6 million, an increase of 4.7 per cent.
In April last, the Health Service Executive (HSE) ended it’s 24-hour AE services at Ennis and Nenagh General Hospitals, despite protests from many GP’s in the areas of Clare and North Tipperary, which resulted in these units being closed between 8pm and 8am each day. This resulted in calls to the Shannondoc’s Nenagh service since last April being increased by some 33 per cent.
At Nenagh General Hospital work is expected to begins shortly on the construction of a two-room endoscopy suite. This project will facilitate development of endoscopy services on site which will enhance the delivery of gastroenterological diagnostics at the hospital and for the region. Clinical leadership for such a unit is already in place at Nenagh Hospital as a Consultant Gastroenterologist is on site.
The Shannondoc service has been helped only slightly by the HSE, latter who providing one additional doctor in Nenagh between the hours 8pm and 2am, since the closure of this 24-hour accident and emergency service.
Last year, to provide the Shannondoc service, costs increased to €6.1 million, of which the HSE contributed €4.6 millions.
The big concern next year is that this funding will be severely cut and the impact that this will have on this very necessary service.
Concerns have been also expressed regarding road surface conditions on the Thurles to Newport road, by those forced to drive, on a regular basis, to attend the Mid-Western Regional Hospital in Dooradoyle, latter which has been ranked as one of the three worst-performing hospitals in the country in a recent HSE league table of 45 hospitals.
Shannondoc employs 134 staff comprised of 43 drivers, 51 medical staff and 40 administrative staff.
Employment costs have risen by 8 per cent from €3.8 million to €4.2 million last year.
I read that letter from the lady who was spoken too so disrespectfully by a nurse in Shannon Doc. Unfortunately the calibre of Nurse Shannon Doc retains are not known for their professionalism. This is unfortunate. It is complimentary to the GP Service, but isn’t up to the mark.
The Environment in Shannon Doc unfortunately is not conducive to retaining a well qualified educated nurse. The Minister of Health cannot be blamed for that. The onus is on Nurse Management to motivate and retain well qualified and capable staff. Instead you have a Project Manager without any clinical skills responsible for the evaluation of nursing staff. Nurse Management it appears is weak and unqualified for the job.
In order to improve the service, it has to start with high Calibre trustworthy people at the top.