NE acute care move confirmed

The Health Service Executive has confirmed that all acute medical services will be transferred from Monaghan Hospital to Cavan General Hospital on July 22nd.

The move, which will see the redeployment of 130 staff, had been widely anticipated and has seen major opposition from local groups and politicians. In October Fine Gael and Sinn Féin representatives joined in a protest against the ending of acute services in Monaghan.

Two Fianna Fail TDs issued a statement this afternoon stating they did not agree with the decision to move on call acute services from Monaghan.

Dr Rory O’Hanlon and Margaret Conlon said in a joint statement issued by the Fianna Fáil press office: “We have been repeatedly assured by HSE representatives that the removal of services would not take place until adequate measures were satisfactorily in place, but this is not yet the case.

They said the lead-in time to the removal of services was “not adequate”. The ambulatory service, while recently extended, has not been properly tried and tested, the primary care teams are not properly in place, the CT scanner is not in operation, and sufficient hours for home help and respite care are not currently available, the TDs said.

“In our opinion Cavan General Hospital and Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda are unable to cope with the current patient load, never mind an increase in patients,” they added. The TDs have sought an urgent meeting with Minister for Health Mary Harney and HSE chief Professor Brendan Drumm.

Sinn Féin TD for the area Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin described the HSE decision as “a disaster for our health services” and warned lives would be put at risk.

“This decision flies in the face of all appeals from front-line healthcare workers, including nurses, GPs, consultants and support staff and from the community in County Monaghan across all political and religious divides,” he said.

“Having sentenced Monaghan General Hospital to death with its plans for centralisation of all acute services, the Fianna Fáil/Green Government and the HSE have now announced the date of execution.

“This decision represents a mortal attack on the health services of the people of County Monaghan by this Fianna Fáil/Green Government and a betrayal of the people by the Fianna Fáil TDs for this constituency – Deputies Margaret Conlon, Rory O’Hanlon and Brendan Smith.”

The HSE said Monaghan would continue to provide non-acute services to the Cavan and Monaghan regions but that from July 22nd there will be no further emergency services in Monaghan. There will be no medical admissions or in-patient acute medical care in Monaghan from that date, the HSE said in a statement.

All emergency and acute hospital care for Cavan and Monaghan will be provided in Cavan General Hospital. Patients needing emergency hospital admission will be admitted to Cavan General Hospital, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, Our Lady’s Hospital, Navan or Louth County Hospital, Dundalk.

A seven-day 12-hour minor injury unit will replace the 24-hour treatment room in Monaghan Hospital.

Under the new arrangements Monaghan Hospital will provide: - day medical services, day surgery, elective endoscopy, a step-down unit (13 beds), a rehabilitation unit (13 beds), outpatient services, laboratory and radiology services, diagnostic urology and dentistry, ear, nose and throat services.

The ambulance services for Monaghan and Cavan have been given an additional emergency ambulance in Castleblayney as part of the move and extra staff - include nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists and dieticians – have been recruited.

The HSE is has sent an information leaflet to households in Cavan and Monaghan explaining the changes in services.