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06 Sept 2025
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06 Sept 2025
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A rheumatoid arthritis sufferer's reaction to confirmation that Mayo will not get a permanent consultant rheumatologist
Rheumatology plan ‘a slap in the face’
Anton McNulty
‘A SLAP in the face’ to arthritis sufferers was the reaction to the confirmation that Mayo General Hospital will not be receiving a permanent consultant rheumatologist.
Rheumatoid arthritis sufferer Stacey Grealis told The Mayo News that she was disgusted to hear the news after she claimed they were led to believe in 2011 that a permanent position would be filled in Mayo General Hospital.
Instead an outreach service from Manorhamilton in Leitrim will be made available with a consultant rheumatologist visiting the Castlebar hospital.
Ballycroy native Stacey, who suffers from a severe form of rheumatoid arthritis, does not believe the service will be of much good to sufferers in Mayo. If patients are put on an infusions treatment plan, she said they will still have to travel to Galway of Manorhamilton.
“An outreach service is a slap in the face for rheumatoid suffers...considering we were led to believe in 2011 we would get a permanent consultant in Mayo. Ten hours a week for a consultant is a slap in the face and is not going to work.
The HSE has no strategy or long term management plan to dealing with rheumatology patients but to let them wait in pain and suffering. But that’s an effective short term strategy to cost savings for the HSE but in the long term it will cost the HSE ten fold and dire consequences to patients’ quality of life,” she said.
The extra post for Manorhamilton will be advertised in coming weeks and it is expected to take up to six months to fill. Stacey said they have been promised many things in the past for Mayo General Hospital and she was skeptical of anything happening.
“In my opinion I don’t believe it will happen.
“There are staff shortage issues in Galway and Manorhamilton and now they want to split a post between Castlebar, Letterkenny and Manorhamilton. We have been made 101 promises before.
“WB Yeats said it is no country for old men but actually it is no country for people with illnesses and disabilities either.”
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