Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I agree with the previous speakers after seeing, last night, what has happened in our hospitals. This is the start of what is going to happen. I have read in the newspaper that, as part of the measures to reduce emergency room numbers, my own hospital in Carlow-Kilkenny, St. Luke's, and the hospitals in Wexford, south Tipperary and Portlaoise may be among a number of regional hospitals that will stop taking trauma patients. It is proposed that three Dublin hospitals will do the same. It has apparently been recommended that a new trauma unit be set up in two hospitals, one in Dublin and one in Cork. This is unacceptable.

We saw the issue in Waterford hospital with the cardiac unit, where one could have a heart attack from Monday to Friday but there was no cover for it at the weekends. There was a massive meeting in Portlaoise during the week relating to its hospital, to try to save its emergency department. This is unacceptable. There are many such instances. People are fighting to get appointments. People come into my clinics to mention waiting times and they are in pain. Now we have this proposal. It is unacceptable for this to happen. The HSE is looking at having two massive trauma units in Cork and Dublin, regardless of St. Luke's hospital in Kilkenny or the hospitals in Wexford, south Tipperary and Portlaoise. The people in rural areas are disregarded. As usual, we are totally forgotten. It is unacceptable and I call on the Minister to come to the House today or tomorrow to clarify if this is true.