A GROUP campaigning for improvements to the public health system yesterday expressed concern that proposals included in a new report on reconfiguring of hospitals in Cork and Kerry would lead to a downgrading of emergency departments in several hospitals.
The Campaign for a Real Public Health Service said the report, drawn up by Horwath Consulting Ireland and Teamwork Management Services, would lead to at least the downgrading if not the closure of emergency departments at four hospitals in Cork.
Campaign spokesman councillor Mick Barry of the Socialist Party pointed out that the report recommended transferring emergency services from the Mercy University Hospital and the South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital in Cork city to Cork University Hospital (CUH). “The report recommends a move from three 24/7 AEs in Cork city to just one . . . the future of AE services at the Mercy, South Infirmary, Bantry and Mallow are now under review with a decision due in September.
“However, at best, these AEs will be downgraded to 12-hour services and labelled ‘urgent care centres’. GPs will not refer patients with serious conditions to a hospital which provides part-time emergency care,” said councillor Barry, adding such a move would lead to a downgrading of the hospitals themselves.
He said the Campaign for a Real Public Health System would oppose any attempt to use the Horwath/Teamwork report to provide “cover for cutbacks” and for promoting a move towards privatisation within healthcare.
He said the report stated “there may not be any need for additional capital investment” in public beds with the release of some 39 beds through the development of cardiac and renal services at CUH and the provision of a further 183 beds from a proposed private co-located hospital.
“The report, therefore, envisages more than 80 per cent of the extra bed capacity needed at CUH being provided, directly or indirectly, by a private hospital,” he said. “It is not an exaggeration to say that the report envisages a downgrading of four Cork hospitals in favour of a private for-profit hospital, based in a centralised CUH campus.”
However, Prof John Higgins, director of reconfiguration at Health Service Executive South who will oversee the project, said that the report maps out the broad future direction for changing the health services in Cork and Kerry.