Hi °C | Lo °C The country's main patient advocacy group is at risk of closure after the the Health Service Executive (HSE) axed €117,000 in annual funding.
The Irish Patients' Association has warned that around 500 cases involving tragedies such as unexplained deaths, injuries and late diagnoses are in danger of being impacted by the cuts.
Chief executive Stephen McMahon said it is almost entirely dependent on the HSE funding to carry out its work .
"Our immediate concern is for these patients, or those bereaved who are on a lonely road seeking explanations into their loved ones' death or injury," he told the Irish Independent.
He has appealed to Health Minister James Reilly to intervene to save the independent advocacy group which has been in place for 14 years.
"As of now the HSE has told us there will be no more funding from the end of March. It is grossly unfair as the process the HSE uses to fund advocacy groups is neither transparent nor negotiable," he added.
The other funding the group receives is around €5,000 from the VHI as well as one-off grants agreed with some pharmaceutical companies over the years to run conferences or campaigns.
Its total funding from the HSE and other sources was around €130,000 annually.
"The HSE has told us we should have secured alternative funding but it has been difficult to do that in the current climate," he added.
The organisation acts to advocate for people who feel overwhelmed by the health bureaucracy and need a helping hand to find out how a relative or other loved one was cared for.
It also tries to highlight issues such as long waiting lists for outpatient appointments as well as provide comments on behalf of patients when major controversies arise.
Overheads
Apart from staff costs it has other overheads including the renting of office space in Ballybrack in south Dublin.
"We are an independent voice for those patients. While we could not find closure for all cases, for others we did and change happened," Mr McMahon said.
A spokeswoman for the HSE confirmed that it will not be renewing funding. She said that the "economic climate has seen the health budget reduced by over €1.2bn over the last three years. Reductions in funding have been applied to all HSE-funded services in 2013."
She added: "The HSE has targeted savings on areas that do not directly impact client/patient services, with a view to protecting essential frontline services for the public.
"In 2013 funding is being provided for the development of the Patient Safety Champions Network, which is a World Health Organisation initiative, and the HSE continues to fund Patient Focus which provides advocacy services for patients.
"The Irish Patients' Association work in this area was limited and the organisation was advised by the HSE last year that it should seek alternative funding streams."
Irish Independent
