Kid’s diabetes clinic doc ‘burnt out’ as HSE aware of closure risk for year
THE HSE has known for a year that a children’s diabetes clinic is at risk of closure — with just one doctor caring for 145 patients, it has been claimed.
Professor Michael O’Grady is now single-handedly running the Westmeath clinic, while also working as the National Clinical Lead for Paediatric Diabetes.
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The doctor looks after 145 young people from Westmeath, Longford and surrounding areas.
And in a recent letter to parents, Dr O’Grady said the clinic would have to permanently close without immediate intervention and help from the HSE.
Parents say the doctor is “beyond burnt out” looking after young patients in Mullingar Hospital after its only nurse is no longer able to work at the facility due to an unsustainable workload.
Mum Vivienne Matthews O’Neill’s son Oliver attends the clinic and she said the HSE knew there was an issue a year before, but failed to act.
She said: “This is not something new. I have raised this with our local TDs last October. My own son was mentioned on the floor of the Dail, looking for help for that clinic.
“It’s a two-nurse operation, as standard, and there were two nurses there to help and guide and respond to the mountain of emails and calls that goes on.”
Vivienne said Prof O’Grady is “beyond burnt out” but is still helping patients. The clinic previously closed in 2021 after the doctor had to single-handedly run it for 18 months. After a team was put in place, it reopened.
Fianna Fail TD Robert Troy has written to hospital chiefs seeking clarity over the services for kids.
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He said: “Parents have been informed by a consultant that the diabetic nurse services for their children are no longer being staffed. They’re understandably extremely anxious that their children will not receive the care they need.”
In a statement, the HSE said: “The national and international scarcity of specialist-trained paediatric nursing staff has posed significant challenges to the continuity of paediatric services at Regional Hospital Mullingar in recent years.
“There are a number of opportunities for paediatric nurses to join the team in MRHM and these posts are currently advertised.”
