A Donegal man has lost his job because of delays in having an insulin pump fitted, Deputy Thomas Pringle has claimed.
Deputy Thomas Pringle raised the issue in the Dáil where he claimed the young man had lost his job because because the working hours of the diabetes nurse at Sligo University Hospital have been cut.
The Killybegs-based TD said “It is an absolute disgrace that a young Donegal man can lose out on a career because of the ineptitude of the HSE to manage our health services properly.”
“He has lost out on starting his career because the working hours of the diabetes nurse in Sligo have been cut. This is not a case that there are not staff in place – it is a case that they have reduced the hours available for the work. I am calling on the Minister for Health to intervene directly in this case and ensure that the insulin pump service is restored.”
Deputy Pringle read a letter from the young man into the Dáil record.
It said “I can go to Dublin and have the pump fitted privately but I won’t and it’s not because of the money,” the letter read.
“I should not even have to go to Sligo. These services should be provided here in our local hospitals where they have all our history and the staff know us. I have now lost a great career opportunity in Scotland because of this as I need the security of the insulin and blood glucose sensor before starting my job and this opportunity is now gone.”
He asked the Tánaiste why is it that when savings can clearly be made in the health services through proper management of diabetes care your government will not make the resources available to ensure the proper management of this disease?
Deputy Pringle said that the young man, whose name is Ciaran, was due to have an insulin pump fitted in Sligo University Hospital before the end of January, which would have allowed him to take up work in Scotland at the start of March.
However he was contacted him ten days ago to tell him that because the diabetes nurse’s hours were being cut by 15 hours a week he could not now have his pump fitted.
