Madam, – Ireland’s rheumatology services are currently the worst in Europe, with some people being forced to wait up to five years for an outpatient appointment. The decision by the HSE to close a medical unit with 34 beds in Merlin Park Hospital in Galway is yet another blow to an already weakened health service.
The closure of these beds will impact not just on rheumatology but on other medical disciplines which would in the past have admitted patients to these beds.
Arthritis services in the west of Ireland are already in a very precarious position. It is important that these services are staffed to internationally recognised standards in order that patients are treated efficiently and to minimise the use of inpatient facilities by maximising outpatient treatment.
The closure of these 34 beds will deal yet another blow to an already under resourced rheumatology service that cannot and should not have to suffer. It is essential in the face of these cutbacks that the report of the HSE working group on Arthritis and Allied Conditions, which will provide a framework for the development of rheumatology services, is published as a priority.
OLIVER FITZGERALD,
Chairperson, Arthritis Ireland,
RONAN KAVANAGH,
President, Irish Society for Rheumatology,
and SARAH GAHAN,
Communications
Manager,
Arthritis Ireland,
Clanwilliam Square,
Grand Canal Quay,
Dublin 2.