Local TD Denis Naughten has praised the Saolta Hospital Group for measures it has taken to address cardiology outpatient waiting times in Galway University Hospital. “Measures implemented under the HSE’s Waiting List Action Plan have seen additional temporary staff and overtime allocated for scheduled care so that valuable public hospital resources can be used at weekends to treat more elective …
Naughten seeks publication of report into births at UHG
Denis Naughten TD is seeking the publication of an Independent Clinical Care Review into nine births that occurred in University Hospital Galway (UHG) in 2022. Speaking in the Dáil later today (Thursday) Denis Naughten will call for the review into nine cases of neo-natal subgaleal haemorrhage, which occurred during births in UHG in 2022, to be published immediately. …
Disappointingly long COVID will not be recognised as an occupational illness – Naughten
One year ago, during the passage of the Social Welfare Bill 2022 Minister Heather Humphreys gave me a commitment to look at introducing a provision to include long COVID as an occupational illness under the Social Welfare code. I tabled an amendment to that legislation and as a result of that the Minister promised to produce a report on …
24 dentists left medical card scheme across Roscommon & Galway – Naughten
A total of 24 dentists have withdrawn from the medical card scheme across Roscommon and Galway over the last five years leaving many patients unable to access dental treatment, Denis Naughten TD has revealed. “In this time just over half of the dentists providing a service to County Roscommon patients have left the scheme, while 40% of dentists have left …
New research shows over 5% of adults actively living with symptoms of long COVID
HSE figures show long COVID patients wait 15 weeks for a clinical appointment New polling data released today has found that more than one in every twenty adults in Ireland are actively living with self-reported symptoms of long COVID. The data is based on a survey commissioned by Independent TD Denis Naughten and conducted by leading polling company Ireland …
Long COVID has potential to place significant burden on our healthcare services
I asked my colleagues in the Oireachtas Library & Research Service to update a previous research paper that I received on long COVID to get an updated understanding of the definition, incidence, and healthcare issues surrounding long COVID. The sad reality is that the symptoms of long COVID can not only last for months but even years and can include …
Patients now waiting 15 weeks for first long Covid appointment – Naughten
2,740 patients referred for specialist long Covid care Patients are now waiting an average of 15 weeks to access long Covid clinics in hospitals across the country, with the longest wait of 35 weeks for patients trying to access the clinic at Tallaght Hospital. Symptoms of long Covid include fatigue and brain fog, which are experienced at least three …
90 seconds of additional home help support per day causing crisis – Naughten
Local TD Denis Naughten told the Dáil this week that the reason nearly 6,500 people are waiting for home help hours is because just an additional 37 minutes have been allocated to each primary care network. “This means that, in reality, there is about 90 seconds of additional home help per day available to meet the needs of older people …
Frontline workers must receive long Covid supports – Naughten
Denis Naughten has called on Government to ensure all frontline workers who contracted Covid through their employment, and who were subsequently forced out of work due to long Covid symptoms, are able to avail of supports until they are fit to return to work. “At present, 120 frontline healthcare workers with long Covid are availing of a special leave …
May is Myalgic Encephalomyelitis M.E. Awareness Month
M.E. has been described as “an often-debilitating disease” that has a prevalence close to one percent worldwide which would equate to around 52,000 people in Ireland or roughly the population of the county of Waterford (Bonilla, H. et al., 2023) With the number of people with M.E. / CFS on the rise following long-COVID, it is estimated that around 45% …