Dáil debates

Tuesday, 13 June 2006

Adjournment Debate.

Accident and Emergency Services.

8:00 pm

Joe Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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I seek a commitment from the Minister for Health and Children, and I hope the Minister of State, Deputy Tim O'Malley, will give that commitment because we mean what we say in the matter of Mallow General Hospital and we will not accept the diktat of the Health Service Executive in this matter. The non-designation of Mallow General Hospital for accident and emergency facilities must be changed. In 2005, 12,635 patients attended accident and emergency services in Mallow General Hospital while the number was 13,250 in 2004. In the southern hospitals group, Cork University Hospital, Kerry General Hospital, the Mercy Hospital Cork and the South Infirmary-Victoria University Hospital have all been designated for accident and emergency units.

The increase in population in Mallow and the north Cork area in general warrants the provision of an accident and emergency unit in Mallow General Hospital. More than 125 GPs refer patients to the hospital, which provides the only emergency and acute hospital service north of the River Lee. Without a 24-hour acute service at the hospital, providing medical, surgical and accident and emergency consultant cover, some patients will be up to two hours' journey from acute trauma and medical care. This is unacceptable by international standards. I ask the Minister of State also to address the delay in appointing a radiologist to Mallow General Hospital and the progress in regard to the establishment of a new board of management to look after the business and provide a separate budget for the hospital.

Tim O'Malley (Limerick East, Progressive Democrats)
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I thank Deputy Sherlock for raising this issue which I will deal with on behalf of the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney. Operational responsibility for the management and delivery of health and personal social services falls within the remit of the Health Service Executive. This includes responsibility for the provision of accident and emergency services at Mallow General Hospital.

The designation of accident and emergency units in the southern hospitals group is guided by the Comhairle na nOspidéal Report of the Committee on Accident and Emergency Services, published in February 2002. This report recommended that a regional emergency service be established in the then Southern Health Board area, with Cork University Hospital as the regional emergency department. The report also recommended that Mallow General Hospital come under the remit of the Cork University Hospital emergency service. This has been the strategic direction adopted to date.

The consultants in emergency medicine at Cork University Hospital have developed standard protocols and procedures for the delivery of emergency services in this area. Mallow General Hospital is assigned two sessions from a consultant in emergency medicine based at Cork University Hospital. The staffing arrangements at the accident and emergency department in Mallow General Hospital are similar to those in corresponding departments in similar sized hospitals throughout the State.

Joe Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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That is not correct.

Tim O'Malley (Limerick East, Progressive Democrats)
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Other hospital consultants, including physicians, surgeons and anaesthetists, are called to Mallow General Hospital's accident and emergency facility when their expertise is required in assessing or supervising treatment of particular patients. Trauma cases are usually transferred to hospital by ambulance. Ambulance personnel work to a protocol and are required to bring patients to Cork University Hospital if they are within 30 minutes of it. The HSE has advised that it is actively examining how cover at consultant level can be extended to improve care for patients at Mallow General Hospital within the framework of the 2002 Comhairle na nOspidéal report on accident and emergency services.