Dáil debates
Thursday, 9 July 2009
Health Services.
12:00 pm
Áine Brady (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
I am replying to this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Mary Harney.
At the outset, I note the fundamental objective of Government health policy continues to be to maximise the health status of the population. The Government is committed not only to ensuring the delivery of the best quality health services possible, but to doing so in an effective and efficient way. Ensuring patient safety is paramount in order that people can have confidence in the services and the best possible patient outcomes can be achieved.
The transformation programme for the north-east region involves widespread and fundamental change. It is designed to build a health system that is in line with the model of care emerging internationally. This can be achieved by centralising acute and complex care in order that clinical skill levels are safeguarded by ensuring access to a sufficient throughput of cases. This was highlighted, along with crucial patient safety and quality of care issues, in the 2006 Teamwork report to the HSE. The Teamwork report demonstrated that the service configuration in the north east was unsustainable. I am glad to have the opportunity this evening to explain clearly what the changes will involve and to offer reassurance that they can bring significant improvements in the services available.
As part of the transformation programme for the north-east region, all acute medical services will be transferred from Monaghan hospital to Cavan hospital on 22 July 2009. As part of the Cavan-Monaghan Hospital Group, Monaghan hospital will continue to play an important and expanding role in the provision of non-acute health services to the people of counties Cavan and Monaghan.
As the newly appointed clinical director for the Cavan-Monaghan Hospital Group, Dr. Hayes, stated on radio yesterday, there have been significant improvements in acute hospital services provided to Cavan and Monaghan over the past five to ten years and this transfer is part of the ongoing development of the services for the people of the area. He made the point that the Cavan medical assessment unit provided better, safer and significantly easier access to acute hospital services in the Cavan-Monaghan area.
Peter McMahon
Posted on 29 Jul 2009 6:26 pm (Report this comment)
The Teamwork Report was making recommendations on the assumption that there would be a new Regional Hospital for the North East. They also assumed that their recommendations came as a package, not to be sifted through and selective proposals taken in isolation. They were also adamant that all the changes should be in place, tried, tested and shown to work prior to the removal of existing services. This is not what has happened and the Teamwork Report should not be quoted as the guide to what has been done in Monaghan General Hospital.
We must also point out that having a Medical Assessment Unit based in Cavan does not provide a better or safer service to that which was proven by audit to be top class in Monaghan nor does it provide 'easier access' in any shape or form for Monaghan patients. It will be totally useless to the Monaghan patients who arrive dead.