Shock fresh threats to Portiuncula and Roscommon hospitals

It appears Portiuncula Hospital in Ballinasloe and Roscommon County Hospital are under threat once again after a consultant's report recommended the closure of a hospital in the HSE West area as a cost-saving measure. While the report, which is available on the HSE's website, does not specify which hospital should close, it is understood an earlier draft of the report from Mott McDonald, a UK consultancy firm, recommended the closure of Roscommon Hospital. The fresh threat to the hospitals comes despite assurances in recent weeks from Health Minister Mary Harney, Minister Michael Finneran and the HSE that Roscommon Hospital would not be closed, according to IMPACT representative Padraig Mulligan, who is calling on the people of Roscommon and East Galway to come out in support of the hospitals. "We've had verbal assurances that Roscommon Hospital wouldn't close. I want written assurances because obviously the assurances to date have been less than useless," he told the Westmeath Independent this week. Mr Mulligan said a human chain would be formed around Roscommon Hospital on Saturday afternoon (time to be confirmed) to send out the message to the HSE to get their hands of the hospital. A similar protest is to be organised for Portiuncula Hospital. The report recommends the rationalisation of acute hospital services and other service reconfigurations. The report reads: "In the medium term, this could include the closure of a hospital and the transfer of beds to another site with the redeployment of permanent staff from and the cessation of temporary staff contracts at each of the sites." It also recommends the termination of temporary contracts across HSE West and within voluntary organisations for six months, pointing out that the termination of 1,000 temporary contracts for six months could achieve a saving of €15m to €20m. However, because the majority of the temporary contracts are frontline staff the report points out that this would be likely to result in the downsizing and/or curtailment of some services. The curtailment of elective procedures for selected periods to reduce theatre use and beds with the redeployment of staff is also recommended as is the reduction of overtime. The report recommends reducing day case provision from five days to four days a week in the HSE West as well as the amalgamation of beds across specialities, such as female surgery and gynaecology. The consultants suggest that between €5m and €7m could be saved if a needs led review of home helps and home care services was held. They have also recommended the introduction of waiting lists for aid and appliances. Other recommendations in the report include generating income through increasing the number of private beds available; closing community nursing unit and acute mental health beds and implementing acute hospital and other service reconfigurations. The HSE West has refuted claims that there are plans to close Roscommon County Hospital. It released a statement last week, which read: "The HSE can categorically state that there are no plans to close Roscommon County Hospital. In recent years HSE West has continued to develop services in the hospital; including a new diabetes and endocrinology service; respiratory service; and the proposed new rheumatology service and the hospital is planning to partake in the National Cancer Screening Service, (the new bowel cancer screening programme)." The statement continued that at a recent meeting with Roscommon councillors, public representatives and staff, John Hennessy, Regional Director of Operations for HSE West, said: "Roscommon County Hospital provides the majority of hospital services required by people living in Roscommon and surrounding areas, and will continue to do so. The way we deliver health services is changing: medical technology and advances in medicine and research means that we have to ensure that we offer patients a health service that gives the best outcome and increased survival rates. The best health services are designed around the needs of the people who use them; rather than on a geographic or historical basis. "I want to reassure people that there are no hospital closures taking place; every hospital in the acute hospital network will continue to deliver the majority of health service required by the local community it serves." However, the assurances are not being accepted by local representatives and union officials, who have expressed grave concerns after seeing the report. IMPACT representative Padraig Mulligan said: "They are talking about firing 1,500 frontline jobs and taking €90m to €130m out of the HSE in the west. The cuts in the west are far more severe than anywhere else in the country. The HSE mantra is: 'Don't get sick this winter because we're breaking even.' The services provided to date in the west will no longer be provided this winter. We saw cuts in the 80s that took decades to recover from. These cuts are far worse than anything in the 80s. If people want to keep their local hospital services they need to come out and support the hospitals. I'm calling on them to do so." Mr Mulligan also called on Minister Michael Finneran to intervene on behalf of Roscommon County Hospital and the Galway Government TDs to intervene on behalf of Portiuncula. "They are clearly targeting the most vulnerable in the west. It is not happening in Dublin, the south or the north east. It is not the fault of the taxpayers in the west that the biggest deficit is in the west," said Mr Mulligan. He said the message he had been getting from the public on the issue was clear - they had put those people in power and if they didn't listen to the public on this issue they would ensure that they wouldn't be in power at the first opportunity they get.