Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)

In raising this matter, I am seeking to highlight the fact that, in the view of the 100 plus GPs who refer people to it, Mallow General Hospital is a centre of excellence. It is also a secondary care facility that caters for the needs of a population base of well over 100,000. If the national service plan, as envisaged, is implemented, the accident and emergency department at Mallow General Hospital will be downgraded to a minor injuries unit. The GPs from whom I have received representations and the people who live in the area want to know what will be the future of the accident and emergency department. There is a concern that if it is downgraded to the status of a minor injuries unit, many GPs in the area will bypass Mallow General Hospital and refer people instead to Cork University Hospital, CUH. Given an expected population base of 4.53 million in 2009, it is vital hospitals such as Mallow General Hospital maintain some coherence in terms of accident and emergency services. Reducing or diminishing it to a minor injuries clinic will result in more people being put into the narrow funnel that is Cork University Hospital, which is not the way to go.

I have taken advice on the matter from general practitioners who refer stroke patients and people with heart complaints to this hospital. Many of these interventions can be dealt with by the accident and emergency department. Downgrading the hospital to a minor injuries unit will have an adverse effect on outcomes for patients.

See this speech in context