| Diabetes sufferer disputes HSE's chiropody claim |
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| Wednesday, 24 September 2008 | |
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A diabetes sufferer has disputed claims by the HSE that there has been no disruption to chiropody services at a South Dublin hospital. Southside People recently highlighted the case of Jimmy Sergeant (60) from Crumlin who spoke about the importance of chiropody services to diabetics. It is likely that a chiropodist at Tallaght Hospital saved Mr Sergeant’s life when he advised him to have part of his leg amputated after it became infected with gangrene. If not controlled, diabetes can lead to the amputation of limbs and blindness in some sufferers. Diabetes is the most common cause of adult limb amputation in this country. The article also highlighted the fact that the HSE had yet to advertise a vacant post for a chiropodist at the State’s largest hospital, St James’s. A spokeswoman for the HSE said it was planned to advertise the chiropodist post and claimed there had been no disruption of services. However, Carmel Kennedy from Clondalkin insisted that there had been disruption to the chiropody service at St James’s Hospital. She told how she has yet to be contacted by the HSE after they wrote to her in April to cancel an appointment with a chiropodist that the hospital had allocated to her for mid May. A letter from the HSE said her appointment for the chiropody clinic at the diabetes day centre had been cancelled “due to circumstances beyond our control”. The letter added that the service would resume “in the next one month to two months”. Ms Kennedy said: “For the HSE to say that none of the services at St James’s were disrupted got to me. “They are saying that the service has not been disrupted and here’s me without an appointment nearly five months later.” She added: “They are not providing the service that they are supposed to be providing. They are giving people appointments and these appointments are being cancelled.” Anna Clark, health promotion and research manager of the Diabetes Federation of Ireland, said the cancellation of Ms Kennedy’s appointment was not an isolated incident. She maintained that a significant number of patients across the country have found themselves in a similar situation. “Anyone who has been referred to a chiropodist by a healthcare professional has been referred because the person requires more specialised care,” Ms Clark said. “Therefore, a delay in getting a review further puts their feet at risk. Given the current demand on hospital beds, early treatment is essential.” She added: “This is only one letter [of cancellation]. We have evidence that this is only one of numerous letters.” A spokesperson for the HSE said: “Your query relates to one person’s opinion and we cannot comment further on that.” |
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