EARLIER we reported that some staff from University Hospital Kerry were unable to enter the canteen during their assigned lunch hour because the ceremony of renaming KGH ran over.
TraleeToday.ie encountered a number of staff outside the canteen at 2.40pm waiting to enter with one of them asking what was going on as they were rostered to have their lunch at that time. Deputy Martin Ferris also issued a statement on the matter after he was contacted by a member of staff.
We sent a query to the HSE earlier today about the matter and they issued a response just after 7pm.
“All staff were written to by the hospital manager on Monday 15th February informing them of the Minister’s visit and one member of staff from each department was invited to attend the ceremony with the Minister,” reads the statement.
“In the same communication staff were informed that in order to facilitate the Minister’s visit, the staff canteen would be open from 11.30.a.m. to 12.45.p.m. to allow staff take an early lunch and from 2.00.p.m. to 3.00.p.m. to enable the taking of a late lunch. As the ceremony involving the Minister ran over the canteen remained open until 3.30.p.m. to allow all staff the opportunity to get lunch,” concludes the statement.
Staff in Riosk and Valencia as far as I witnessed could only take meals when they could . Timetables cannot be adhered to when you are overstretched. Surely the hospital know this, as the dog in the street could tell them. He couldn’t eat with staff? I heard certain areas were painted and new seating proffered in lieu of the visit.
This was a PR stunt that was wrong in so many ways.