Concern over downgrade of Wexford A&E Department

New Ross Standard wrote:

Widespread anger as report recommends downgrading of A&E

Wexford Deputy Brendan Howlin says that a draft report suggesting that trauma units at nine hospitals, including Wexford, could face the axe, 'needs to be killed stone dead.'

'It's just unbelievable. We went through all this five years ago and provided €20 million for a brand new A and E, which is one of the best in the country, and the issue was put to bed,' the Labour former minister told this newspaper, his damning comments echoed by other opposition politicians.
'We need to be very firm that this report, which is from clinicians, should not get any traction. It's crystal clear that a hospital serving a population like Wexford does need a full time A and E with trauma facilities.'

Deputy Howlin said the current government was too weak to carry out such an act and predicted that if they attempted to, the Fine Gael-led administration would fall.
The Department of Health says there are no current plans to close emergency departments at the hospitals and the report of a steering group on trauma treatment had yet to be delivered.

The Trauma Steering Group has been looking at treatment of trauma patients with the purpose of advising on the future of emergency medicine in this country and a report in the Sunday Business Post says that one of the recommendations will be an increased centralisation of specialised emergency departments in larger hospitals.
As part of that plan, the emergency departments in nine hospitals could be closed.

The report names them as Wexford General Hospital, Cavan General Hospital, Naas Hospital (Kildare), Portiuncula Hospital (Galway), the Midlands Regional Hospital (Westmeath), St Luke's Hospital (Kilkenny), South Tipperary General Hospital, the Midland Regional Hospital in Portlaoise and the Mercy University Hospital (Cork).
The centralisation of trauma units is seen as a way of providing greater and more specialised care for patients. Despite this, it would also mean some patients are required to travel greater distances to reach an emergency department. People living in North Wexford would be particularly badly hit, facing an hour and a half's journey from somewhere like Gorey to Waterford Regional Hospital.

a spokesperson for Department of Health says that any decisions arising from the report would be made by Health Minister Simon Harris in consultation with the HSE.
Enniscorthy-based Deputy James Browne said any effort to downgrade services at Wexford Hospital must be fiercely resisted.

The Fianna Fail deputy said the report was commissioned by the then Minister of Health Leo Varadkar as part of the previous FG/Labour coalition and that lives will be seriously put at risk if such a plan is implemented.
'The current Minister for Health, Simon Harris, needs to immediately clarify the new government's position concerning these alarming media reports.

'It is critical that A&E services in Wexford are maintained. Wexford has a significant population of close to 160,000 people with an extra 50,000 people resident in the county in the summer time.
It is not credible to suggest that Wexford does not need an A&E. Minister Harris needs to make an immediate statement on the matter. I will be raising this issue in the Dail this week as a matter of urgency,' said Deputy Browne.

SF councillor Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin, from North Wexford, described the proposal as 'incredibly stupid and dangerous'.
'We must stop it before it grows legs - all parties united - and protect A&E services at Wexford General Hospital. Imagine in an emergency trying to get to Waterford General from the Gorey area (& taking New Ross at rush hour into the equation) A terrifying prospect,' he said.

Fine Gael Deputy and Minister of State Paul Kehoe said he had received assurances from the Minister for Health that there are no plans to close or remove emergency department services from Wexford.

Minister Kehoe said that he had been advised that 'last year the RCSI, which represents surgeons and emergency medicine specialists, requested that a body of work be done to examine the concept of a trauma network in our hospitals.
'Following agreement from the previous Minister for Health a group was established for this purpose. This group has yet to present any output or make a report to the Minister for Health. There are no plans to close or remove services from the emergency department in Wexford General,' he said, his remarks doing little to stem the chorus of protest.

Asked for a comment by this newspaper, the Ireland East Hospital Group, which includes Wexford General Hospital, said: 'The Trauma Centre Strategy is with the Department of Health and nothing has been finalised. Therefore, we have no comment to make at this time.'