Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail)

I am delighted the Minister is present to discuss patient safety. As she will be aware, issues have arisen in County Roscommon again. A report on services at Portiuncula Hospital, Ballinasloe, and Roscommon County Hospital was presented on 10 April at a briefing for members of Roscommon County Council and the Health Service Executive west regional health forum. No courtesy was shown to myself, as an Oireachtas Member, or my colleague, Deputy Michael Finneran, regarding a briefing on this issue. The HSE has issued this report in a cavalier fashion. As a former Minister of State at the Department of Health and former chairman of the Western Health Board, it would have been courteous at least to have been given a copy of the document. I obtained a copy of it which was presented to the management team of the HSE. I hope it will reach the Minister's desk eventually for a decision on the future of acute services at Roscommon County Hospital and services at Portiuncula Hospital.

This issue has gone on for too long. I felt it had been resolved by the Minister in September 2006 when she was well aware of the issues and the proposals that had been put forward. The matter was discussed last night at a meeting of the Fianna Fáil party attended by senior members of the Dáil ceantar, councillors and Oireachtas Members. Having gone through the document carefully, we felt it was not in the best interests of the continuation of acute services at Roscommon County Hospital. The proposal is that all acute services should cease at the hospital and anaesthetists and surgeons should transfer to Portiuncula Hospital.

I was chairman of the health board when we signed a contract for a new state-of-the-art accident and emergency department at Roscommon County Hospital, which was opened by the Taoiseach. Assurances were given by him and other senior political figures at the time that the hospital would be retained as an acute general hospital. The situation is critical. Portiuncula Hospital is between 30 and 50 miles away from most people in Roscommon. It is a fine hospital but it is located close to four hospitals, two of which are private, in Galway thanks to the new national primary route. However, there is an area between Galway and Mullingar which does not have acute services.

The report to which I referred was presented by Mr. Alan Moran to the management of the HSE but it would take more time than I have to go through every aspect of it. At the end of the day, arising from the transfer of all acute surgeons and anaesthetists to Portiuncula Hospital, Roscommon County Hospital will not retain its accident and emergency department 24-7. It would put patients and people in the region at risk. The hospital was used recently following road accidents and young people were saved. According to best practice, a patient should be in a hospital within an hour of an accident occurring, which is referred as the golden hour. Relying on ambulances on inadequate roads is not helpful. Of more than 10,000 patients examined in a study by the University of Sheffield, the risk of death for patients who were unconscious, not breathing or who had chest pains increased by 1% for every six miles travelled. Portiuncula Hospital is 30 miles from Roscommon County Hospital. Is this a justifiable risk of death due to this proposal?

The Minister attended meetings on 12 September 2006 at which she gave commitments on the continuation of acute services at Roscommon County Hospital. In May 2007 the Taoiseach stated services at the hospital would not be downgraded. The statement was confirmed by Professor Drumm at a meeting of the Joint Committee on Health and Children last November. Consultants at Roscommon County Hospital have written to the HSE.

The Minister is well aware of the circumstances of the county hospital, the demand for continuation for services, the upgrading of services that has taken place with the provision of a new accident and emergency department, theatres and a CAT scanner, and the investment that has taken place over recent years. I believed the issue had been resolved and the hospital was working efficiently and effectively. It provides an excellent service to the people of County Roscommon. When I served as Minister of State at the Department, the issue was the closure of the hospital. I averted its closure at a cost politically to myself, but nevertheless it was retained as an acute general hospital with surgical, medial and psychiatric services and an accident and emergency department. The decision was made by the Government at the time and I have that decision in writing.

The downgrading of Roscommon County Hospital will have to be a Cabinet decision because I have no confidence in the HSE to make it. The decision may be based on the Hanly report but senior politicians stated decisions would be based on location and getting safely to hospital. It is a vital issue everywhere and in my region in particular. I appeal to the Minister to examine the issue. She was elected Minister but I did not elect Professor Drumm. The House did not elect him or the HSE board. The Minister must intervene in these issues and take political decisions in the best interests of the people.