Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail)
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Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit go dtí an Teach seo inniu. I am again calling for the extension of opening hours and indeed opening days for the minor injury unit at Monaghan Hospital.

Including Monaghan, there are ten minor injury units located throughout the country. Minor injuries are unlikely to lead to hospital admission. A super service is provided in Monaghan. I have experience of it myself. People can walk in or their GP can refer them and there is no charge if the patient attending has a medical card or a referral letter from their local GP. The injuries unit at Monaghan has been in operation since 2009 with patients aged five years and over able to attend. As the Minister of State probably is aware, these units deal with a wide range of minor injuries, including for example suspected broken bones to arms - from collarbones to fingertips, strains and sprains, facial and eye injuries, minor scalds and burns, wounds, bites, cuts and splinters, as well as suspected foreign bodies in the eyes, ears, nose and mouth and minor chest injuries. People also can get X-rays there, if required. The unit in Monaghan has provided a valuable and important service to the public while simultaneously reducing the pressure on the accident and emergency unit in Cavan.

However, while all the other injury units in the country are open seven days a week, the unit in Monaghan has the shortest opening times and that is what this debate is about this morning. Most units around the country operate from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week, but Monaghan is limited to 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. five days a week. These are the shortest opening hours of any of the ten minor injury units in the country and Monaghan's is the only such unit not operating on a seven-day-per-week basis. Turning to the figures for those attending, Monaghan's figures are almost at the same level as those for the minor injury unit in Bantry, which is open seven days a week. It could well be argued that were Monaghan open for the same hours and number of days as Bantry, its figures would be higher.

Over the past number of years I have tried to raise awareness of the injuries unit in Monaghan. The HSE itself has recently done a fantastic campaign informing the public of the wide range of services available there.Many people do not realise the types of conditions that can be treated at the unit. Since the awareness campaign, and I compliment the staff on their work, the figures are again on the increase.

I am sure the Minister of State will agree that there is a genuine case for extending the hours at the centre. People ask why County Monaghan has been treated differently from other parts of the country. I mean that there are ten injury units and the unit in Monaghan is the only one that is confined to operating five days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Unfortunately, the figure for the number of people attending the accident and emergency unit at Cavan General Hospital is on the increase. Many of them could be treated in Monaghan if people were made aware of the unit and if the hours were extended, especially at weekends when people participate in sports and, therefore, as a result there is a higher volume of injuries. In 2021, the average waiting time in the Monaghan injuries unit was one hour while a high number of 401 patients waited for more than 24 hours to be treated at Cavan accident and emergency unit. That proves a case can be made in favour of the injuries unit.

I respectfully ask that consideration is given to extending the days and hours of opening at the unit in Monaghan. I hope that the Minister for Health can facilitate a discussion along those lines.

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Senator for raising this matter concerning the minor injuries unit at Monaghan Hospital. I welcome the opportunity to update the House on this important service. As the Senator has said, the unit assists thousands of people every year, which is great to see.

Monaghan Hospital operates as a single hospital with Cavan General Hospital. Together they share an integrated managerial and clinical governance system, as well as integrated patient care pathways and support functions. This integrated framework provides a stronger role for smaller hospitals, such as Monaghan Hospital, in delivering a higher volume of less complex care which is often closer to a patient's home. It also ensures that patients who require emergency or complex planned care are managed safely in a larger hospital environment.

The emergency department is located at Cavan General Hospital. It provides 24-hour emergency critical care to adults and children. Facilities at Monaghan Hospital focus on elective care and the appropriate streaming of patients to the minor injuries unit. As well as the unit, other services provided at Monaghan Hospital include day services, theatre, diagnostic services, ambulatory care and a wide range of outpatient services.

Minor injuries services, such as those at Monaghan, are specifically designed for the treatment of broken bones, dislocations, minor burns and other injuries that are unlikely to need admission to hospital. In cases where an injury is more serious than originally thought, the patient is transferred to the hub emergency department linked to the clinic for further assessment and treatment.

The opening hours for the minor injuries unit at Monaghan Hospital is within the overall framework for the delivery of care, as part of the integrated operations and governance system for Cavan and Monaghan hospitals. The opening hours for the unit is a matter for the HSE and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, RCSI, Hospitals Group. However, the Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, who could not take this debate today so asked me to take it for him, has assured me that he is willing to engage with the HSE and the hospital group on any request for additional opening hours. I see that as a positive. The Minister is willing to work and engage with the Senator and others.

Last year, we saw a number of new initiatives at Monaghan Hospital, including 18 new step-down beds, a second endoscopy room, centralisation of haemochromatosis services for patients in the Cavan-Monaghan hospital catchment area and the provision of a third ultrasound room. Since 2019, bed capacity at Monaghan Hospital has increased from 31 to 54 beds. Over the last ten years, the minor injuries unit has treated thousands of patients each year, with over 4,200 attendances in 2020 and nearly 5,400 in 2021.

The minor injuries unit at Monaghan Hospital plays a vital role in providing valuable services to the local community. It helps to alleviate the pressures on emergency departments.

Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State for the response. I welcome the positive response from the Minister for Health in that he is willing to engage with the RCSI Hospitals Group and the HSE with a view to extending the opening hours and the days of opening in terms of the minor injuries unit.

I compliment the staff at the hospital on the fantastic service they provide in this area and throughout the hospital. I also compliment management on its information campaign that has resulted in an increase in the number of people attending the injuries unit. I welcome the fact that the Minister for Health is now willing to engage in that regard and look forward to such engagement. I ask that the Minister of State conveys to the Minister that we would like that engagement to commence as soon as possible and to confirm same.

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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I thank Senator Gallagher for raising this issue. I confirm that the Minister will assist and engage with those who want to increase the hours, the hospital group and the HSE. The success of the minor injuries units can be seen in Monaghan and many other places. I am happy to make sure that we maximise the use of that service. The Senator makes a good point in that there are similar numbers in other parts of the country and units in those areas are open for longer hours. Like the Senator, I compliment the service. There has been great feedback from the more than 5,000 people who are using it every year. The Senator made a point with regard to an information campaign. That is a conversation we are having with regard to our services in County Meath and it is also being had in other parts of the country. It is vital that the HSE and the hospital groups give very clear information and detailed advice and guidance as to where people should go for different types of treatment. That is how we can maximise the use of all of our health assets. It should be explained to people where the best place to get services at a given time is and they should be directed to those services. That seems to be done quite well in Monaghan. Hats off to those involved. I will reaffirm with the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, that the Senator wants to see that engagement as soon as possible.