Criticisms over 'alarmist' talk on AE restrictions

SENIOR DOCTORS have said that politicians opposed to plans to close 24-hour AE services in the midwest are being irresponsible and engaging in alarmist talk.

In response to the HSE’s consultants’ report recommending the closure of 24-hour AE at Ennis and Nenagh general hospitals, a number of Clare politicians claimed that lives could be lost if the plan proceeded.

Paul Burke, the consultant surgeon leading the project, said yesterday that claims by some politicians about large numbers of patients dying “is absolutely ridiculous” and “is genuinely attempting to frighten people”.

Mr Burke accused those politicians of being “irresponsible”.

AE consultant Dr Cathal O’Donnell, also on the project, said some politicians had engaged in inflammatory and alarmist talk.

“I have no issue with robust debate and politicians do have a difficult job, but what I do have a problem with is alarmist talk about 20 lives being lost when the project proceeds.”

Dr O’Donnell said he would not be supporting the plan if he did not believe that it would provide better results for patients.

The plan had been well received to date, he added. He stressed that the vast majority of people who were currently going to Ennis and Nenagh hospitals would continue to go to those hospitals when the plan came into being.

The HSE is expected to end the 24-hour AE services at Ennis and Nenagh from April 1st.

The chairman of Shannondoc, Dr Michael Tangney, had said that the out-of-hours doctors service for the midwest did not have the capacity to take on the additional work outlined in the plan.

Dr O’Donnell said the additional numbers involved would be “pretty small”.