This article is from page 8 of the 2006-12-19 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 8 JPG
AN Ennis-based businessman believes he can reduce the HSE’s exorbitant taxi bill by as much as 40 per cent.
It was revealed at the HSE West’s Regional Health Forum Hospitals’ Committee that as much as €677,000 was spent on taxis bringing non-emergency patients in the Mid West to hospital during the first 10 months of this year.
Now Bus Slánte’s Seán O’Shaughnessy says he has proposed a solution to the local HSE that could reduce that bill by more than €270,000.
Bus Slánte currently services the Mid Western Regional Hospital Ennis, St Joseph’s Hospital Ennis, Shannon Health Centre, the Maternity Hospital Limerick and the Mid Western Regional Hospital Limerick three times a day with an open bus service.
The company plan to add the Orthopaedic Hospital in Croom to the service early next year.
The service is open to patients and the general pubic.
Mr O’Shaughnessy explained that many people with disability or mobility difficulties also use the service for going to Limerick as they can access it easily.
He is proposing that the service can be expanded and used by the hospitals in Clare and Limerick for ferrying non-emergency patients to other hospitals in the mid west for tests – a service that is currently costing the taxpayer hundreds of thousands of euros.
The service would be free to those availing of free travel and could cost just €5 per head to others.
Mr O’Shaughnessy has suggested that taxis could be used to bring patients from rural areas to one of the urban centres and Bus Slánte could then pick them up there.
He said taxis are currently bringing people to hospitals for tests and waiting for them while they are treated.
All the while the cost is increasing.
“There will be no inconvenience to the person (with the new service).
“The only change to the current service is that people would have to change on to the bus,” he said.
Bus Slánte currently has one bus in service and another on the way.
Should it be successful in convincing the HSE of the merits of this idea, it plans to add two more to the fleet, and also hopes to secure charity status.
Clare Representative to the HSE Mid West Regional Forum Cllr Brian Meaney (GP) believes that Mr O’Shaughnessy’s proposal could help reduce the spiralling costs to the health services.