The Cystic Fibrosis Association Urges the Government to protect those with a Long term/chronic illness in tomorrow's Budget

The Cystic Fibrosis Association Urges the Government to protect those with a Long term/chronic illness in tomorrow's Budget

06 December 2010

The CEO of the Cystic Fibrosis Association of Ireland, Philip Watt, urged the Government to ensure that all those have a long term or chronic illness, including Cystic Fibrosis do not suffer in tomorrow’s budget. Key concerns are: The need for government investment to upgrade our Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Hospital Centres to meet European standards, including the need for more isolation beds, especially for adults.This is because of chronic government under-funding until recent years. 

The need for two dedicated lung transplant surgeons to be appointed to meet the back-log of CF and other patients awaiting a lung/double lung transplant (50 are on the waiting list, some of whom are dying because of the waiting list) The adjustment of the moratorium on recruitment to ensure physiotherapists, social workers, nurses and psychologists working with people www.cfirelwith CF are replaced when on sickness or maternity leave or appointed in the first place where there are gaps in CF health teams. 

The Government must protect disabled people's income in Budget 2011.  There were significant cutbacks in Budget 2010 that impacted on all people with a disability, including people with CF.  For this reason, no further cuts whether direct or indirect should be applied to the income of people with disabilities and their families in this Budget. The Department of Social Protection must ensure that disability and long-term illness payments will not be further reduced in this Budget and there should be no more prescription charges.

See www.cfireland.ie