CABINET MINISTERS have moved to protect their local hospitals amid reports that the Health Service Executive plans to remove some services from a number of smaller facilities.
The HSE, in a progress report on what it was doing to curtail risks at a number of smaller hospitals, told the Health Information and Quality Authority in February it planned to remove around the clock emergency services from St Columcille’s Hospital, Loughlinstown, Dublin, later this year. The HSE’s plans were outlined in a Hiqa report in April.
But there are now fears the change could be implemented sooner than planned at Loughlinstown hospital and that similar changes may be also necessary at Roscommon County Hospital, as well as some other smaller hospitals such as Navan, because of a shortage of junior doctors applying to work in them from next month.
The HSE said yesterday there was no date set regarding the cessation of any current services at St Colmcille’s Hospital but it said it was continuing to work towards the full implementation of the health information authority’s reports in relations to services which could be carried out safely in smaller hospitals.
Any decision the HSE takes will have to be approved by Minister for Health James Reilly who said after he was appointed he did not want any services removed from local hospitals before he conducted a review of what was planned. That review is ongoing.
The HSE said it would liaise with clinicians in the hospitals, regional management, the Minister for Health and Department of Health prior to any decisions being taken.
Yesterday Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore said he would campaign to keep a 24-hour emergency department open at St Colmcille’s which is in his own constituency.
Meanwhile, two other Cabinet members have announced funding for their local hospitals in recent days.
Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin announced €20 million capital funding for a new emergency department at Wexford General Hospital. In opposition he had helped organise a number of public meetings to discuss concerns about the possible downgrading of Wexford hospital.
Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan has also announced €13 million for improvements to the emergency department and some other areas at St Luke’s Hospital in Kilkenny.
There had been concerns in Kilkenny and Wexford, as well as Clonmel, that if the HSE reconfigured acute hospital services in the southeast, a number of services at these hospitals could have ended up being centralised at Waterford Regional Hospital.
The developments at Wexford Hospital and St Luke’s Hospital, Kilkenny, were included in the HSE’s draft capital plan for 2011- 2015 and were awaiting approval.
Some €392.25 million has been set aside for capital expenditure by the HSE this year.
The Department of Health said yesterday “the HSE’s draft plan is under consideration and requires the approval of the Minister for Health with the consent of the Minister for Finance”.
This is despite the fact that elements of it have already been announced by Mr Howlin and Mr Hogan. And a Fine Gael senator for Kerry South Tom Sheahan said yesterday €8 million had just been approved by Dr Reilly for the long-promised reconstruction of Kenmare hospital.
The Department of Health said: “Details of the [capital] plan will be published by the HSE following its approval”.
A spokeswoman for Mr Howlin said the money he announced was contained in the new capital programme for the HSE this year.