Suspension call for proposed unit closure

THE Mid-West Health Service Executive has been requested to suspend the proposed closure of the High Dependency Unit at Ennis hospital on March 1 and other centralisation plans, pending the completion of an independent review.

Clare Fianna Fáil General Election candidate, Dr John Hillery has called for serious consideration on the reconfiguration of health services in the Mid-West.
Dr Hillery claimed the policy is resulting in local services being reduced at Ennis hospital before resources are put in place to operate the changed services.
He also said the appointment of a new HSE chief executive and minister for health since the policy was implemented necessitated a review of the effectiveness of the policy.
Dr Hillery proposed that a HIQA audit similar to the one carried out at Ennis be undertaken at the Mid-West Regional Hospital in Dooradoyle, Limerick, as well as associated support services.
“The reconfiguration policy is in line with best practice and fundamentally is designed to enhance patient safety and access to healthcare services.
“However, the rollout of this policy in the Mid-West Region is being undermined by management and structural changes within the Department of Health and HSE. A thorough review of the effectiveness of the reconfiguration policy must be carried out with a view to reassuring patients in the region that access to appropriate healthcare is provided in the event that they should require it,” he claimed.
Having consulted with doctors from the county, Dr Hillery said they had told him the current reconfiguration is not working and should be halted until HIQA complete an independent review. He said there is a plan to close down the high-dependency unit in Ennis over the coming weeks and a new plan to medically assess patients in the hospital.
However, there are question marks over staffing and a request from doctors that this type of change should be deferred until the review.
“The whole idea about reconfiguration is that patients would receive the care they need when they need it. However, it now seems that everything has been channelled into the regional hospital in Limerick, which doesn’t appear to have the capacity to deal with the extra patients.
“People are very anxious about the current situation. It seems that reconfiguration is not necessarily happening the way it should be. The most important thing is that patients feel safe. I am worried that some people are putting off going to the doctor and to hospital because they don’t want to spend hours waiting on a trolley to be seen and in effect are putting their lives at risk,” he added.
The Mid-West HSE responded, “The challenges and pressures faced by hospitals in the Mid West are not dissimilar to those of other hospitals in the country. Unfortunately, they are being associated with the reconfiguration process and this is regrettable.
“Much of reconfiguration is centred on new ways of providing essential clinical services in a safe and sustained fashion. It is too simplistic to see this activity as a direct or substantial cause of some current difficulties faced in our hospitals,” a spokesperson stated.