Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Over the Christmas period, a decision was taken to have the medical assessment unit in Ennis receive patients coming in from ambulance care rather than to have all patients funnelled through UHL. There is now a decision pending regarding Nenagh. The decision on Ennis, in itself, has alleviated some of the pressure, but not all. There is still a huge crisis. People want to know whether the delegates are willing to try the model nationally. It has worked. It worked very well in Mallow General Hospital. Will it be rolled out in the mid-west, in particular, where the crisis is most felt and where it will not abate because it is perpetual or incessant? Are the delegates going to prolong that? Are they going to consider local 24-7 accident and emergency injury units or medical assessment units? What capacity building will occur? Can we be told, because this is not a crisis just here and now? It will linger for us.