ERHA inspectionIn a further blow to Peamount hospital, the Medical Council has advised management it must employ a consultant to maintain accreditation for junior hospital doctors at the facility.
Following a recent routine inspection visit to Peamount, the council wrote to the Eastern Regional Health Authority (ERHA) reminding it that postgraduate training of non-consultant hospital doctors was dependent on the presence of an approved consultant to oversee teaching at Peamount in Co Dublin.
The hospital employs a registrar and five senior house officers and has specialised in treating tuberculosis.
"This is an ominous development for Peamount. The sacking of its only consultant indicates that not alone will Peamount lose its TB expertise, but the whole hospital may close," Olivia Mitchell, Fine Gael health spokeswoman, said.
The Medical Council's move will add to the ongoing crisis at the hospital following management's decision last month to terminate the employment of its medical director, Prof Luke Clancy.
The hospital also decided to cease admitting TB patients though it later reversed the decision.
A full hearing into an action by Prof Clancy and the hospital's senior medical officer, Dr Paul Kelly, seeking to preserve their current terms of employment is due to be heard by the High Court.
However, at the weekend adverts for consultants in rehabilitation medicine and geriatric medicine, which include a commitment of two sessions a week at Peamount, were placed in the national press. It is not expected that either of these consultants would assume ongoing responsibility for patients at the hospital in a way the medical director currently does.
The ERHA is due to hold a meeting on Thursday to discuss the future of TB and respiratory services at Peamount.
Jim Breslin, ERHA director of planning, commissioning and change, said the ERHA had asked management to engage in ongoing consultation with hospital staff, the local community and GPs on any proposed changes.
A local community alliance, which includes representatives of 70 GPs from south-west Dublin, will hold a rally outside Leinster House tomorrow at 1p.m.
An alliance spokeswoman said the Peamount board had broken promises not to change the services without full consultation with the community.