No epidural service has been available between midnight and 9 a.m. each day at St Luke's Hospital in Kilkenny since Monday because of a shortage of anaesthetists. St Luke's normal complement of anaesthetic staff is five consultants and four registrars. As of July 1st, the number of anaesthetic registrars was two.
As well as the reduction in the epidural service since Monday, there was also "a small reduction in the number of elective, surgical, obstetric and gynaecological procedures at St Luke's hospital", a South Eastern Health Board spokesperson said.
"It was the first time that I have ever received a memo stating that medical services were to be withdrawn to a section of the community," Dr Henry Bourke, a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at St Luke's, told Radio Kilkenny yesterday.
The health board spokesperson said the Minister for Health's decision to extend the temporary registration for non-EU national doctors from five to seven years would be of assistance to the board in recruiting staff.
A spokesperson for the Minister for Health, Mr Martin, said "the Minister is working with the South Eastern Health Board to have the matter resolved. The Minister is confident the matter will be resolved soon."