Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

On behalf of the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, I thank Deputy Stanley for raising this matter regarding Portlaoise hospital. I also thank him for the kind remarks he made about me.

The Minister would like to reassure the Deputy that the most important issue regarding the consideration of services at the Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise is that patient safety and outcomes must come first. As the Deputy is aware, the Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise has been the focus of a number of reviews, investigations and reports in recent years. The reports points to the need for a reconfiguration of some services to ensure patients are treated in the most appropriate setting by specialist staff who can safely meet their needs. With these reports in mind, the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, is committed to securing and further developing the role of the Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise as a constituent hospital of the Dublin Midlands hospital group.

Since 2014, the focus has been on supporting the hospital to develop and enhance management capability, implementing changes required to address clinical service deficiencies, and incorporating the hospital into the governance structures of the Dublin Midlands hospital group. Significant work has been undertaken to strengthen and stabilise current arrangements for services at the hospital to ensure sustainable services are safely assured and adequately resourced. Funding has increased by 50% relative to the 2012 budget and staffing levels have risen by 36% from the 2014 base.

In addition to resourcing at the hospital, governance and management arrangements at the Midlands Regional Hospital Portlaoise have been strengthened. Additional clinical staff have been appointed and staff training, hospital culture and communications have improved. The Dublin Midlands hospital group has been working for some time on a draft plan for a new model of clinical service delivery at Portlaoise hospital which takes into account the need to develop services at the hospital in the context of developing the model of service provision for the entire hospital group.

The HSE group involved in developing the draft action plan for Portlaoise hospital focused on the risk issues and the interdependencies of the various clinical services in the emergency department, general surgery, general medicine, general paediatrics, obstetrics, gynaecology and neonatology. The draft plan has been submitted to the Department of Health but I would like to clarify that no decision has been made on it.

I emphasise again that patient and public requirements are paramount and have underpinned the Department's consideration of the draft plan. The Government is committed to investing in services, capital projects and staffing at Portlaoise hospital. The hospital has made considerable infrastructural improvements in recent years to improve the service user experience. These capital developments allow considerable service developments and additional recruitment of staff, and further solidify our commitment to securing and developing the role of the Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise as a constituent hospital in the Dublin Midlands hospital group.

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