Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State. I acknowledge positive comments she made and the information she put on the record. To put this in the context I will speak about the number of people on trolleys in a centre of excellence in Galway, although I have been corrected for calling it a centre of excellence because that is only with regard to cancer care. Nevertheless it serves an area of between 800,000 and 1 million people. There were 42 patients on trolleys there today. Clifden District Hospital closed over Christmas. It also closed in November because it had no staff or could not staff the nursing home. Staff are being moved back and forth. As I understand it, there is an ongoing dispute with the union on this. What I am most unhappy with is that the hospital has closed twice. This is in an area where it is vital as the Minister of State recognises. It is vital to take the pressure off the regional hospital. It is vital because of the elderly population, which is increasing as Dr. Casey has repeatedly pointed out. He has also pointed out the range of services that could be provided in Clifden to take the pressure off other hospitals.

I worry when I hear that there are no plans to close Clifden District Hospital. It worries me how language is used when we get a little lecture on primary care and a geriatrician telling us the good things. We know this, and it is brilliant. I praised those involved when we had a meeting and learned about primary care on the ground. I worked in primary care. However, it is no substitute for a hospital that provides services. When I ask why services are not available in Carraroe or why there are no respite beds there I am told that they are in Clifden. Merlin Park is the primary place for respite beds, with 13. I am told that Clifden has 12 respite beds. I go around in circles with all of my pieces of paper. Even on the issue of respite beds alone there is a need for Clifden District Hospital based on the figures, not to mention for convalescence and other possible services that should be there.

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