Ireland's Eye: What's going on in the old sod

As a junior minister, White is not entitled to a state car but she is supported by the state in employing two drivers who work alternate weeks driving her own car to events around the country.

“I have my own civilian car, the Volkswagen Golf I always had.  I do have the support of a driver, but if they have to go too, they have to go,” she added.

White admitted she had never used the government jet, but expressed her belief they should go too.

“I flew to New York last week for a UN initiative for women in politics and I had the very last seat on the plane, right down at the very back -- ordinary fare, no special seat -- and it was perfectly acceptable,” she stated.
- Carlow Nationalist

A Damning report compiled by a top U.K. doctor into the death of a young cystic fibrosis sufferer at Waterford Regional Hospital claims she was neglected by the health service during her three week stay there.

And now the family of 24-year old Tracie Lawlor say they don’t want another cystic fibrosis sufferer’s family to go through what they went through before their daughter died.

The report, which was commissioned by Tracie’s family, was carried out by Dr. Stephen Philip Conway, who found that doctors and nurses failed to keep proper records of her deteriorating health, medical staff did not assess her properly and there was inadequate attention from senior doctors at the unit.

Tracie died on November 10, 2007, one day after her mother took her home, to Castlebridge in Co. Wexford, when she could no longer bear to see her daughter suffering any more.

Tracie’s mother Phil said her reason for commissioning the report was to get standards of care raised at Waterford Regional Hospital.

‘Nothing will bring Tracie back, but I don’t want anyone to have to go through what we went through. The hospital is supposed to be a center of excellence and yet I had to wash down her room everyday. She wasn’t seen regularly by senior cystic fibrosis doctors, she was on an oncology ward and seen by an oncologist,” she said.

Her daughter had to endure urine on bathroom floors, blood stained medical trays and cramped wards despite the fact that cystic fibrosis sufferers are at high risk of cross contamination if exposed to unhygienic surroundings.

“On one occasion I asked for a yellow sealed bucket with used needles and other waste to be removed. It took a week for them to do that,” said Phil.

Repeated requests for her daughter to be transferred to St. Vincent’s hospital proved fruitless, and in the end Philomena took Tracie home to die.

“Even I didn’t realize the extent of the hospital’s neglect until I read the report. I commissioned it because I wanted answers. My daughter shouldn’t be dead,” Phil said.

The Health Service Executive confirmed they had received a copy of the report and that the contents were being treated very seriously.
- Waterford News & Star

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Nster.com