'Exceptional' Nurse To Return To MRHM Paediatric Diabetes Service

Friday, 19 April 2024 06:52

She had been carrying the workload of 2.6 people before taking unplanned leave.

An 'exceptional' staff member is returning to the Paediatric Diabetes Service at Mullingar Hospital.

The Advanced Nurse Practitioner had been carrying the workload of 2.6 people, but has been out of work since early April.

The return of the ANP on Monday will mean the release of another staff nurse to the clinic, which was agreed on April 5th.

That would also allow another ANP, who was moved from Regional Hospital Portlaoise to provide temporary support, to return to Laois.

However, despite hospital management saying the National Clinical Lead was supportive of the transfer of a nurse from Portlaoise Hospital, Professor Michael O'Grady says he wasn't made aware of the specifics of the assistance until after a letter was issued to parents.

He says that put him in a difficult situation, but an apology was offered to Professor O'Grady, which he has accepted.

In a new letter to parents, he says it was never the intention of hospital management to close the clinic.

In addition to the return of the Advanced Nurse Practitioner, Regional Hospital Mullingar has been given the green light to recruit permanent staff, to ensure the long-term stability of the service.