Seanad debates

Wednesday, 23 April 2008

7:00 pm

Photo of Jerry ButtimerJerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit, an Teachta Smith. I hope the Minister of State, Deputy Smith, can make progress with the issue I am raising if he is not moved in next week's reshuffle. The Mercy Hospital is one of the most important hospitals in Cork. The Government and the HSE provided funding of €5 million for an accident and emergency department at the hospital which remains idle. Last week, the chief executive and the board of the hospital were forced to go public about the fact that they do not have enough funding to staff the department. They have decided to open the department from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. only. The Minister of State will agree that the shortfall in funding is not good enough. The new accident and emergency department unit at the Mercy Hospital is lying idle as a result of the inexcusable delay in arranging a meeting between the HSE, the Department of Health and Children and the board of the hospital.

This is unfair to the people of Cork and to the patients who are suffering. They are again being forced to endure a second-class service. What this means in real terms is that between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. we will send 10,000 people to the accident and emergency department of Cork University Hospital, the second busiest hospital in Cork. The hospital deals with 25,000 patients and allowing for 40% of these to present after 8 p.m. gives a total of approximately 10,000 people.

It is time that the Mercy Hospital, which has given great service to the city, receives recognition. It is not good enough that it took the board and chief executive of the Mercy Hospital to go public with this dilemma to obtain a meeting with the HSE. Meetings and promises have been postponed. This issue involves at most 24 full-time staff and must be resolved. It is time the Department of Health and Children and the HSE took responsibility. This is about commitment to the people of Cork and the Mercy Hospital.

It is almost the end of April and a new Taoiseach is about to take office and select a new Cabinet. However, the same problem pertaining to the Mercy Hospital remains. The Minister of State will reply that the Mercy Hospital is over budget, or whatever is the line from the HSE. I am sure Professor Drumm is a very good surgeon and consultant. However, his management of the Health Service Executive leaves many questions to be answered.

We are not talking about a Third World country. Cork is Ireland's largest county and second largest city. Its people are left with a second-class service despite having a brand new €5 million service facility waiting to be used. This is not good enough. I look forward to the reply of the Minister of State.

Photo of Brendan SmithBrendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Senator Buttimer for raising this Adjournment matter which I will take on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Mary Harney. Improving the delivery of accident and emergency services continues to be a top priority for the Government and the Health Service Executive. At national level, significant additional resources have been provided to address the problems which manifest in emergency departments. Among the developments which have taken place are additional public and private long-stay beds, additional home care packages and home help hours, major capital developments in emergency departments and the provision of acute medical assessment units and community intervention teams in Cork, Limerick and Dublin.

As Senator Buttimer knows, Cork city has three accident and emergency departments located at Cork University Hospital, the Mercy University Hospital, and the South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital. These units are cross-covered by a team of consultants in emergency medicine.

Funding of €4.7 million for the provision of a new accident and emergency department at the Mercy University Hospital was included in the HSEs capital plan for 2006 to 2010. Building work on the new accident and emergency department was completed on schedule in January 2007. The work of equipping and commissioning the new facility was completed at the end of October 2007.

The new department consists of a large patient waiting area with a separate paediatric waiting area, a triage area, a three-bay minor treatment area, a ten-bay major treatment area, a two-bay resuscitation room with adjacent x-ray suite and a treatment, therapies and procedures room. The overall size of the new department is almost four times as large as the existing unit.

A total of 46 staff are assigned to the existing accident and emergency department at an annual cost of approximately €2.5 million. The staff complement includes the equivalent of 18 full-time nurses, one full-time consultant in emergency medicine, two registrars and seven senior house officers. The working of the existing department is underpinned by close working relationships with physiotherapists, a social worker, an occupational therapist, a radiographer, a pharmacist and psychiatry and other support services, including chaplains, security and housekeeping staff.

The original approval for the project included an additional revenue allocation of €400,000. I understand that in January 2007, the Mercy University Hospital submitted an application to the national hospitals office of the HSE for an additional 24.5 full-time staff for the new unit at a cost of almost €1.5 million. This would substantially increase the total running costs of the facility.

The HSE has indicated that it has been engaged in negotiations with the management at the Mercy University Hospital on how best to organise services so as to run the new department effectively. Last December, both sides agreed to an evaluation of the staffing requirement for the new facility in an effort to advance the issue. This process is under way and discussions are ongoing. A meeting between the HSE and hospital management took place on Monday, 21 April and a further series of meetings is scheduled for the coming weeks. I am hopeful that this process will advance matters and enable the opening of this new facility to proceed. I assure Senator Buttimer the contents of his contribution will be brought to the attention of senior management of the HSE.