The cuts to Blanchardstown Hospital “amount to a HSE management

sanctioned reduction of hospital servicesto a level that is no longer safe.”

from a letter by 23 consultant doctors at Blanchardstown Hospital

ruth coppinger “Money should be given to hospitalsnot unguaranteed anglo speculators!”

Minister scareMonGerinGabout hospitaL caMpaiGn

n €20 million in cuts since 2009.

n Recently announced - twelve surgical bedsclosing in Laurel Ward.

n Threat to cut the 24 hour A&E to 12 hoursonly lifted due to pressure created by thecampaign.

n 16 beds axed in surgical day ward which willcut day surgery drastically.

n Day surgeries to be reduced from 30 to 40 a

day to just 10 to 13.

n Operations will be cancelled and waiting listswill grow. Fewer beds will mean more pa-tients on trollies and on chairs.

n Doctors, nurses, household staff and hospitalservices will be stretched “to a level that is nolonger safe”.

n Not scaremongering – Connolly Hospital inserious danger as cuts to get worse.

THE REal faCTs

Dublin West BY Election - Blanchardstown Hospital

Labour and Fine Gaelneed to be rebukedor the cuts to our hospital will continue

Minister Leo Varadkar has disgracefullyattacked the Defend Blanchardstown

Hospital Campaign, that involves many hos-pital staff, claiming it is scaremongering andexaggerating about the threat to the hospi-tal's future.

He dismisses the concerns of the doctors,nurses and staff. Ruth Coppinger says, “It isMinister Varadkar who is scaremongeringby attacking the motives of the Campaign. Itis due the work of the Defend Blanchard-stown Hospital Campaign over the lastmonths that the threat to cut the A&E to a12-hour service has been lifted.

The catalogue of cuts below, shows thatthere is a serious threat to our hospital. Wemust defend this vital and necessary facilityfor our expanding community”.

Cllr Ruth Coppinger at Connolly Hospital

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CoppingerSOCIALIST PARTY l UNITED LEFT ALLIANCE WWW.SOCIALISTPARTY.NET

vote1RuthCllr

n Get active in the Defend Blanchardstown Hospital Campaign

n if Labour or Fine Gael win they will use that to justify more cuts, so don’tgive them your vote in this by election.

n Instead send a powerful warning to the government - reverse the cuts at Con-nolly Hospital.

n Ruth Coppinger played a very important role in the establishment of the hos-pital campaign and along with Joe Higgins TD and has supported the hospi-tal over many years.

n a massive vote for ruth coppinger in the by election would fundamentallystrengthen the case for our hospital and seriously challenge thisGovernment’s disastrous austerity policy.

a Doctor says...“At the recent information meeting on Connolly Hospital aGovt. Minister made it clear thatthe cuts in beds and services for2011 will not be reversed andthat further cuts to budgets andinevitably services will follow. . .In my personal opinion those whocare about patient care in Con-nolly should seriously reflect onwhether they wish to endorse ornot, such policies when they votein the coming By-Election.”- eamon Leen, consultantpathologist, connolly hospital

a staff member says...

“I know Councillor Ruth

Coppinger’s record of cam-

paigning for our community

over the last ten years. I know

she is deeply committed to

protecting Connolly Hospital

and urge voters to give her their

No. 1 vote and continue

preferences for candidates who

are genuinely campaigning for

our hospital.”

- noel Murray, staff member,

connolly hospital

use the by eLection to caMpaiGn For our hospitaL

proper public healthcare for all

n Joan burton TD (October, 2010) said the "priority for Dublin West [is]making Connolly Hospital a world class medical facility."

n Leo Varadkar TD (August, 2010) criticising Fianna Fail cuts at ConnollyHospital said - "These cuts are savage and will impact on patient care. Every-one understands that the country is broke...But a cut back of 12.6% cannotbe delivered through efficiencies or reforms in one year. It is too much, tooquickly and will result in chaos and suffering for patients and their families.”

n Leo Varadkar Minister (October, 13 2011) at a Campaign Public Meetingsaid - "The truth is that there will be further cuts next year, there has to be.We have to get the budget deficit down...The cuts that are happening thisyear, the bed closures, are going to happen. They won't be reversed. Therewill be further cuts...".

n patrick nulty, Labour candidate on RTE's Drive Time (28 September,2011) said - "I will always vote with the Labour Party". That means that ifelected, Patrick Nulty will vote for December's austerity budget that will re-sult in more draconian cuts at Connolly Hospital.

n That means that his claim that he will fight for our hospital just anotherempty election promise, like the ones above.

Don't endorse Labour & Fine Gael's sickening u-turns on connolly hospital

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