Junior doctors: The surgery department at Cavan General Hospital has been recognised once again as a suitable location for the training of junior doctors. Eithne Donnellan, Health Correspondent reports
The decision by the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) to re-accredit the hospital for surgical training of young doctors follows months of controversy which erupted following the suspension a year ago of two of its three permanent consultant surgeons over interpersonal difficulties.
There followed several adverse clinical incidents at the unit and concern was expressed by family doctors in the region at the lack of continuity of care for patients attending, as a succession of locum consultant surgeons came and went in place of the suspended surgeons.
Prof Arthur Tanner, director of surgical affairs at the RCSI, confirmed yesterday that following a number of visits to the hospital, the RCSI was now again recognising four training posts for junior doctors at the hospital's surgery department.
The RCSI withdrew its accreditation of the unit for training purposes over a year ago because of so-called interpersonal difficulties in the department. The North Eastern Health Board (NEHB), which runs the hospital, subsequently suspended surgeons Dr William Joyce and Dr Pawan Rajpal.
Dr Rajpal is appealing his suspension to the Supreme Court and Dr Joyce has secured a High Court injunction restraining a ministerial-appointed committee from resuming its inquiry into his conduct.
Meanwhile, three locum consultant surgeons and one permanent consultant surgeon are running the Cavan surgery department, with complicated cases being transferred to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda.
Prof Tanner said the Cavan unit had been recognised for training since July 1st and he visited the unit again last week to satisfy himself all was going well.
All was going "as well as can be expected", he said. His only concern was the volume of patients being seen in the surgery department was "not ideal for training purposes" because of the transfers to Drogheda.
However, he said the restrictions on who could and could not be operated on in Cavan was under active review and may be relaxed.
Furthermore, he said, the RCSI wished to see Cavan and Monaghan hospitals form a joint department of surgery.
A steering group set up by the NEHB to devise plans for a joint department is expected to report shortly.