A hospital in Co Wexford which cares for the elderly and those needing rehabilitation has no doctor on call in the event of an emergency. St John's Hospital in Enniscorthy has 139 continuing-care beds, which include respite and step-down beds, as well as a rehabilitation unit with 16 beds, which is used by all age groups.
The hospital was meant to be covered by a new doctor-on-call service which was to be fully operational in Wexford by the end of the year. However, no funding is available and doctors who previously covered the hospital have been forced to withdraw.
The South Eastern Health Board told doctors at the hospital that the new service would be operational by the end of October and the doctors gave one month's grace following the cessation of their previous working arrangements in September.
However, the Department of Health and Children has not provided the €1 million funding required, leaving the hospital without cover.
Wexford TD Mr Paul Kehoe (FG) has expressed anger at the situation and believes something needs to be done urgently. "I appreciate the situation that the health board find themselves in and I am calling on the Department to allocate the necessary funding as soon as possible."
Mr Kehoe said patients were already suffering due to the lack of cover. "There is a retired doctor who calls to the hospital on a Monday and a geriatric specialist calls on a Tuesday. On all other occasions, the nurses are left to look after the medical needs of the patients, putting an extra burden on them. I know of one family who faced a situation where their son who was in the rehab unit was brought to Wexford General Hospital with an ear infection.
"After some time in casualty, he was transferred to Waterford Regional Hospital. He didn't get to eat until late that evening. Such situations of unnecessary discomfort for patients should not be allowed. What happens if there is an emergency at the hospital?"