By Darragh McDonagh

The HSE West is expected to unveil a programme of sweeping health cuts in the coming days as part of its plan to reduce its expenditure by €65m by the end of the year.

The executive is currently locked in high-level discussion with trade union leaders, who are seeking to minimise the impact of the cuts in the area of frontline jobs and services.

Unions have identified alternative cost-saving measures worth €25m in order to preserve key services and 220 jobs at Galway University Hospitals (GUH), however officials have warned that the extent and nature of the impending cuts is likely to be “shocking”.

There has been speculation that the orthopaedic unit at Merlin Park Hospital, a children’s residential service in Galway and two surgical wards at University Hospital Galway (UHG) are set to suffer as a result of the cuts but HSE management has remained reticent as to the precise nature of its plan.

However, trade unions understand that they will be provided with details of the programme of cost-saving measures in the next few days.

“There is a lack of clarity as to how they are planning to tackle the deficit and there has been no meaningful engagement with unions in relation to non-pay (service) cuts,” said Cllr Colm Keaveney, SIPTU organiser for the West of Ireland.

“We have successfully worked to reduce the budget deficit by €25m, and in the coming days they will circulate details as to how they are planning to cut a further €65m from the budget through services.

“They are maintaining their bottom-line position that they must break even by the end of the year, and I’d say we will be shocked by what emerges in the next few days,” he added.

Read more in this week's Connacht Sentinel