Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this important matter and allowing me to address this important issue. The status of the Midland Regional Hospital, Mullingar, is a major cause of concern and angst among the public, staff and elected representatives. The HSE is a bureaucratic monster and it is engaging in a surreptitious campaign to downgrade the status of the hospital, which is centrally located to serve the citizens of counties Longford and Westmeath on foot of a commitment given in the mid-1980s. At 5 p.m., 41 acute beds or 20% of the bed complement at the hospital will close. I can anticipate the HSE's reply through the Minister of State. It will say 13 beds will be transferred to the day care unit but that is a different scenario. I am sick and tired of the HSE engaging in obfuscation in the House and putting Members off pursuing health issues.

The closure of beds will happen without formally discussing this step with consultant physicians who are concerned that the number of beds being closed is grossly excessive and disproportionate. Such a decision will cause problems for them from the perspective of safety and acceptability. I am astounded that, prior to a decision of this magnitude being made, discussions were not held with the consultant physicians, nurses and other relevant staff, and that an impact analysis was not carried out. Furthermore, a significant number of acute admissions usually occur during winter and it beggars belief that 41 acute beds will be lost to Mullingar hospital which has regional status. This is an important issue because HSE staff are intent on disregarding that designation, especially where such beds are used to accommodate acutely sick patients who attend the hospital daily. I am concerned that this is part of a discernible trend in the way the HSE treats the hospital.

Last August, I indicated that I was fearful for the long-term future of this hospital and that my confidence had been dented by a series of decisions made by the HSE in this regard. In 2008, Mullingar hospital broke even with a budget of €65 million and it has consistently been one of the top performing acute hospitals in Ireland over the past five years. The length of in-hospital stay is one of the shortest in the State. The HSE likes to refer to such achievements. Mullingar has achieved this standard frequently but it has received no payback for doing so. This efficiency has been acknowledged by the Minister for Health and Children, the HSE and others. The hospital was due €2 million because of its case mix efficiency but it only received €500,000. Why did the HSE divert money due to Mullingar Hospital elsewhere and fail to reward the hospital as promised? Where did that money go? Was a less efficient hospital given the money? It is time straight answers were given. Is it the HSE's agenda to reduce this important, centrally located and pivotal hospital to the status of a "cottage hospital"? Does the executive want to centralise everything in a flagship hospital in Tullamore with Mullingar hospital as a corollary?

Vital leadership is being given in Mullingar hospital. We are lucky to have consultant physicians of the status of Professor Sean Murphy, Dr. Aidan O'Brien, Dr. Shu Hoashi, Dr. John Cosgrave, Dr. Clare Fallen and an excellent clinical director, Dr. Ron Charles. They set up the stroke unit and they have a flagship ambulatory medical assessment unit, which processes 180 people per month. It is visited by staff of other hospitals from all over the country and our consultants are working hard to establish an intervention cardiology unit and CAT laboratory where angiograms can be performed and stents inserted without having to go to Dublin.

I have lost all faith in the HSE, as I personally have been fooled by them once too often. I do not want to hear nonsense about 13 additional day beds being available from Monday to Friday for elective procedures, as these are no use for facilitating emergency admissions. As far as I am concerned Fianna Fáil and this Government have failed the people of Longford and Westmeath in relation to hospital provision and services for the people. I was always suspicious that when Phase 2A was virtually completed in May 1997, that ways were devised, invented, formulated and found to delay the follow-on construction and establishment of an expanded Phase 2B, which was promised. It would have made eminent economic sense to follow on, but for naked political reasons this important project and the completion of same for the people of Mullingar and the wider midlands was sacrificed for political reasons.

This Government stands indicted for its failure to deliver to Mullingar what was promised, and no amount of mealy mouthed excuses from Fianna Fáil politicians, either at local or national level can disguise this irrefutable fact. It is time that people power told these Government politicians what they think. They have let us down, and there should be consequences for this blatant reneging on solemn promises given to the people over the years.

I am calling upon the HSE management and relevant authorities to enter talks with the physicians and others, to discuss a safer and fairer reduction in acute bed numbers, although my own view is that this expanding geographical area needs all its acute bed complement to accommodate its citizens.

I do not want any mealy-mouthed answers from the Health Service Executive. I want real action to secure Mullingar's long-term future.

See this speech in context