David Cullinane (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Waterford Regional Hospital is a teaching hospital. What is being proposed is that it become a fully recognised university teaching hospital, and that has advantages. However, I have not received a reply to the core question from the Minister for Health, the Minister of State, Deputy White, or Professor Higgins. Following the establishment of these new groups, two hospitals in the region will be in a different group from the group of which Waterford Regional Hospital will be a part, which is the Cork group. What will happen in a situation where those trusts or groups will compete against each other? If we have a situation where there is a leakage of patients away from Waterford Regional Hospital towards hospitals in Dublin, and that will be a natural dynamic, can the Government continue to support services in Waterford Regional Hospital?

Of course the patient comes first, but we are trying to protect the status of Waterford Regional Hospital and the full complement of services in the region. History has shown that Ministers can give commitments, but the reality can be different. If over time there is, unfortunately, a further drift of patients away from Waterford Regional Hospital, there is a genuine fear this could be used as an opportunity to tell the hospital that as it does not have the critical mass, it cannot justify retaining certain services. That is the core fear of the people in the south east and I am anxious to impress that upon the Minister.

I welcome the clarifications given by the Minister of State. Given that this is very significant for acute hospital care and will have profound implications for acute care in the State for generations to come, it is important to tease out all the issues and seek clarifications so we will have the certainty and clarity we need.