Anger as Beacon staff get vaccination before public hospital teams
HEALTH MINISTER Stephen Donnelly is under pressure to explain why staff in a private hospital, which refused to sign a deal to give the HSE extra beds, are being vaccinated ahead of other public healthcare workers.
Staff in the Denis O’Brienowned Beacon Hospital were vaccinated this week because the hospital is to be used as a mass vaccination centre.
HSE chief executive Paul Reid expressed “concern” about the plan after the Beacon refused to sign up to the Government’s private hospital deal.
“It is, to be frank, at odds with the fact that we don’t have an agreement currently with the Beacon Hospital, a signed agreement in relation to the surge safety net agreement. That is a concern of mine,” Mr Reid said.
However, his comments came after the HSE sent out a press release announcing the deal struck with the Beacon Hospital. In the statement, Dublin Midlands Hospital Group CEO Trevor O’Callaghan said the HSE was “truly grateful” for the Beacon’s assistance.
A Beacon spokesperson said the vaccination centre was offered on a “not for profit” basis.
Meanwhile, it is understood there is significant anger among private hospitals that did sign bed the capacity deal over the Government’s decision to designate the Beacon as a mass vaccination centre.
“The other private hospitals thought they were doing the right thing by signing the deal but now they are furious to see Beacon staff get the vaccination ahead of their healthcare workers,” a source said.
In the Dáil, Labour Party TD Aodhán Ó Ríordáin raised concerns over Beacon staff getting vaccinated after the hospital failed to sign the bed capacity deal.
“Dr Jack Lambert said this morning that the Mater Hospital has vaccinated less than 50pc of those who need it because it has not been given enough vaccine,” he said.
“He asked who made these decisions and said there is no transparency on who made them. Why are the vaccinations taking place in a private hospital that will not row in behind the national effort, meagre as it is?”
“Why are people in the Mater Hospital not getting the vaccine, as outlined by Dr Jack Lambert?” the Labour TD added.
The private hospital agreement, which was agreed by the majority of operators, allows the HSE take over up to 30pc of the bed capacity in private wards to deal with the recent surge in Covid-19 cases.
The Beacon refused to sign the deal saying it provides capacity through existing deals with public hospitals and through the National Treatment Purchase Fund.
Yesterday, the HSE announced that healthcare workers in Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow were to be vaccinated at a new centre in the Beacon Hospital.
“The mass centre can provide minimum 100 vaccines per hour and has the flexibility to rapidly expand by adding additional vaccination stations,” a statement said.
“A peer vaccination team of up to 90 Beacon Hospital doctors and nurses will vaccinate staff Monday to Saturday ensuring that all personnel are protected in a planned and timely way.”
“More than 900 doses of the vaccine are available to the facility, with further deliveries expected to support the scheduling plans for the ongoing programme across community and hospital services,” it added.
Health Minister Mr Donnelly has not responded to requests for comment.
The HSE also did not answer questions on how much the deal will cost and when it was agreed with the Beacon Hospital.