Nurses working in the Accident and Emergency department of Faro Hospital say they have been, and remain, unable to cope with the incoming workload and that the rights of patients are being compromised - there simply are not enough nurses.
In a letter sent on Saturday to the chairman of the hospital board, the nursing team warns that in the face of such chaos, as was seen over the long holiday break, it can not be held liable for "possible or future events that result in harmful consequences" for patients or family members.
According to the nurses, who fear management reprisals and wish to remain anonymous, the number of patients admitted has increased and human and material resources have become increasingly scarce. This is one of the factors that has led to a "decreased quality of care" and a decline in their ability to respond.
The letter states that, "At the same time, the number of patients admitted to the emergency department and their length of stay in the emergency room has increased," adding that "the number of nurses scheduled for shift work has remained the same and in some cases has been lower than stipulated as the minimum necessary."
According to these professionals, the service has proved to be "incapable of responding to the needs of users, family members and professionals on a daily basis," and although they admit that the origin of some of the problems is outside management’s control, they are deeply concerned that they have not been able to fulfill patient needs.
The same team sent a similar letter to management last August, which listed several problems in the operation of the emergency admissions service, namely that it was overcrowded with stretchers in the corridors and a lack of staff in triage.
Contacted by news service Lusa, hospital management claimed that it had not formally received the document but that it had heard about it through the media and pointed out that staff had not gone through line management.
Comments
As I understand the German model, health insurance is compulsory, but through private insurers, and not through taxation. Would that work here?
An interesting difference between Portugal and Britain is that here in Portugal, if you consult your doctor, you pay a €5 fee. A small charge, but many a mickle maks a muckle. Such a charge in Britain might ease the burden on the Health Service.
Not helping in the slightest is the the continuous frauds and corruption in health products that we get glimpses of in the papers or through professionals in the service. There is still nothing resembling a guarantee that we health service users are not given watered down, half strength drugs. Yet Portugal happily attempted to have the EU Health Regulation Agency located within its borders in the recent bun fight!
Faro hospital has some excellent staff but they are hopelessly overburdened due to the inept management and lack of funds - a strategy perhaps intended to drive traffic towards the private sector - but which will inevitably deter future visitors and settlers.