Galway Hospice has asked Minister for Health Mary Harney to intervene following the withdrawal of all specialist consultant cover for the unit yesterday.
General practitioners have stepped in to provide medical support to ensure that the 12-bed unit remains open. The hospice says it is committed to continuing patient care in the hospice and with its home care team, and to accept new referrals.
The GPs who have agreed to provide cover include Dr Ray Doyle, a palliative care specialist who has been attached to the hospice's home care team since September 2000, and who had taken a sabbatical just over a month ago. The Galway Hospice Foundation has confirmed that Dr Doyle has returned to work with it on an interim basis.
Dr Doyle worked with Dr Fergus Glynn, who also specialises in palliative care and who has resigned. A letter written by both GPs to the Galway Hospice Foundation says that both wish to "state categorically" that their decision to leave was "in no way a reflection of any dissatisfaction with either the management or nursing staff working with Galway Hospice".
The doctors' joint letter, dated April 3rd, 2005, refers to an "increasingly more difficult work environment" for both of them and states: "The home care's practice had become the subject of constant criticism from the consultant in charge of the service".
It adds: "We felt that the extent of this criticism was completely unjustified, which inevitably gravely undermined morale within the home care service and consequently undermined the effective functioning of an excellent service".
Three patients are being treated in the hospice, but there have been no new referrals since the hospice's clinical director, Dr Dympna Waldron, withdrew voluntarily several weeks ago.
This arose following the intervention of the Health Service Executive (HSE) West, after a collective bullying complaint was lodged last month against the clinical director by 22 of the 26 nurses at the hospice.
In a statement issued yesterday, the hospice board said it wished to respond to claims by sources close to Dr Waldron in relation to "inappropriate" use of medication, and late referral of patients for specialist care.
The board said that since last year's publication of an independent review of medication procedures, on foot of concerns raised by Dr Waldron, the hospice had implemented current-best-practice medication risk management structures and processes throughout its services.
"These are independently supported and monitored by a specialist risk management adviser", the hospice said. "The structures include the establishment of an integrated safety and quality committee to co-ordinate and oversee good safety and quality management practices, which Dr Waldron has been a member of, and a specific committee to deal with medication safety.
"Any reported adverse incidents are dealt with in a prioritised and focused manner", the hospice said, with input from an independent adviser.
A "number of incidents" were raised at the integrated safety and quality committee's last meeting on March 31st, when Dr Waldron was represented by her agreed deputy palliative care specialist registrar.
The Irish Hospital Consultants' Association (IHCA), which represents Dr Waldron, said yesterday it would study the hospice's statement and would respond next week.
