Tim O'Malley (Limerick East, Progressive Democrats)

I am replying on behalf of the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney.

The Health Service Executive recently established a steering group and project group to oversee a programme designed to improve safety and standards across the acute hospital network in the north-east region. The decision was taken having regard to the issues raised in the report prepared for the HSE by Teamwork Management Services and the findings of the recent report into the death of Mr. Pat Joe Walsh.

The Teamwork report concluded that the current system, where five local hospitals deliver acute care to relatively small populations in the region, is exposing patients to increased risks and creating additional professional risks for staff. The report highlights the need to develop a high quality and responsive emergency and planned service, in line with international standards, by developing local services within existing hospitals and other local centres supported by a new regional hospital.

The HSE recently published the report of the independent inquiry into the death of Mr. Walsh. The report details the difficulties that arose in trying to secure Mr. Walsh's transfer from Monaghan General Hospital to either Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, or Cavan General Hospital. It also exposes a failure in communications between clinicians and hospitals in the region.

Since the death of Mr. Walsh, the HSE has confirmed that a new protocol was put in place which provides that all requests for transfer from Monaghan General Hospital to Cavan General Hospital or Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, be granted and processed immediately. International best practice demonstrates that patients have better outcomes when treated in hospitals with appropriate numbers of specialist staff, high volumes of activity and access to the right diagnostic and treatment facilities. It must be ensured no patient is exposed to increased risk because specialist services are being provided in some hospitals that lack the necessary critical mass of activity and patient throughput. Patient safety and quality must be paramount and the key drivers in the reconfiguration of our acute hospital services. Government policy is to provide safe, high-quality services that achieve the best possible outcomes for patients. This will mean rebalancing service delivery to ensure those services that can be safely delivered locally are and more complex services that require specialist input are concentrated at regional centres.

Led by the HSE's National Hospitals Office, the north-east steering group has representation from key stakeholders including clinicians and primary care providers. The project group is led by Dr. Eilish McGovern, a renowned consultant surgeon. The Minister, HSE representatives and Dr. McGovern met recently with Members, including Deputy Connolly, and members of Monaghan County Council to specifically discuss the future configuration of services at Monaghan General Hospital arising from the recommendations in the two reports. The HSE has given the Minister an assurance that, in progressing the implementation of these reports, there will be no discontinuation of existing services until suitable alternative arrangements have been put in place.

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