Tim O'Malley (Limerick East, Progressive Democrats)

I thank Deputies Connolly and Crawford for raising this matter. I offer my sincere sympathies, and those of the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children, to the family of the late Mr. Patrick Walsh, rest in peace, who died tragically at Monaghan General Hospital last Friday.

The Health Service Executive has commissioned Mr. Patrick Declan Carey, a consultant surgeon at Belfast City Hospital and an honorary senior lecturer at Queen's University Belfast, to carry out an independent and external review of these circumstances. This review will be completed and a report issued within a timeframe of eight weeks or less. The Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children expects the review to answer all questions around this tragic case as a matter of urgent public interest.

It is disturbing to learn, even in advance of the review, that a fully staffed intensive care bed was available at Cavan General Hospital. It has also emerged that a high dependency bed was available at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda. The position of Beaumont Hospital is being clarified by the Health Service Executive.

On the specific questions raised by the Deputies about surgical services at Monaghan General Hospital, the Health Service Executive has advised the Department that the policy approach in respect of surgical services across the Cavan-Monaghan Hospital Group was set out in the 2004 report of a steering group established by the former North Eastern Health Board. The group was representative of all key stakeholders and included consultant representation from both hospital sites in the disciplines of surgery, medicine and radiology. The Department is further advised that the members of the group unanimously approved the recommendations of the steering group. The executive board of the former North Eastern Health Board accepted the steering group's recommendations in late 2004.

The steering group recommended major and emergency surgery should be carried out in Cavan General Hospital and that Monaghan General Hospital should provide selective elective surgery. The report's recommendations took account of advice received from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. In accordance with the recommendations of the steering group, a full surgical team based in Cavan will provide services at Monaghan General Hospital in the form of selective elective surgery on a Monday to Friday basis. The Health Service Executive has also recently appointed a non-practising lead consultant surgeon at the Cavan-Monaghan department of surgery whose remit is to oversee an implementation plan arising from the college of surgeons' advice on the future configuration of surgical services in Cavan and Monaghan.

In accordance with the steering group's recommendations, Monaghan Hospital returned to 24-hour, seven-day medical cover in January 2005. A third consultant physician has been in post since November 2004 and five new anaesthetic non-consultant hospital doctors have been recruited to facilitate the return of the hospital to medical on-call status.

The arrangements outlined are being put in place by the Health Service Executive. They are designed to enhance the overall level of surgical services across the Cavan-Monaghan Hospital Group. The Tánaiste will give her consideration to Deputy Crawford's invitation to visit Monaghan.

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