Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for her reply. My only problem with it is that it is very much HSE spin. I will give the figures. Between the urgent care centre and the accident and emergency department, 48,000 people attend Mercy University Hospital. A total of 66,000 people attend Cork University Hospital. We have 1.6 consultants in Mercy University Hospital and we are now talking about recruiting more consultants for Cork University Hospital thinking that this will sort out the problem for Mercy University Hospital. This concerns the HSE because it controls Cork University Hospital where it does not control Mercy University Hospital in real terms. Yes, there is co-ordination between the two of them but we need accident and emergency consultants to be assigned to Mercy University Hospital. It is dealing with the volume and delivering a very good service but only have cover for 55 hours per weeks. Yet it is providing many of the same services Cork University Hospital is offering. We should go back to the HSE and tell it that while we know it is recruiting another consultant for Cork University Hospital, we want to know what is happening about an additional consultant for Mercy University Hospital. This is my concern about this reply. I understand that the Minister of State must get this information from the HSE but I am concerned that we will now go down the same road where this time next year, Mercy University Hospital will be in the next position with only 55-hour cover for accident and emergency consultants.