Dr. Colm Henry:

The question of whether there should be another emergency department cannot be looked at in isolation because an emergency department does not exist in isolation but in the context of a range of supports people would expect to deliver outcomes for the complexity of conditions and treatment we have in 2024. Those background services include HDU beds, critical care beds, 24-7 cover for surgery, anaesthesia, medicine and diagnostics up to and including CAT scan, and laboratory diagnostics. Whatever about the troubles we face concerning the safety and dignity of patients in UHL, patients going into an emergency department have to expect the department, the services supporting it and the specialties to address all conditions up to and including complex conditions requiring complex intervention. The question of an additional emergency department cannot be differentiated from that of an additional model 3 hospital.