Officials assure consultants on future of Waterford hospital

Health Minister James Reilly, the secretary general of the Department of Health, and the head of the HSE have assured consultants at Waterford Regional Hospital it will retain key services such as cancer care, cardiology, and trauma care.

The assurances came after a meeting yesterday between Dr Reilly, secretary general Ambrose McLoughlin, HSE director-general designate Tony O’Brien, and consultants from Waterford, along with local Oireachtas members from the south-east.

According to Rob Landers, medical director of WRH, the meeting in Leinster House was “very positive”.

Fine Gael TD John Deasy said he set up the meeting to establish the facts about the future of WRH and other hospitals in the region. Dr Landers said there was “robust but constructive” engagement at the meeting.

“We got certain reassurances about some of the key elements here, including cancer care, cardiology, and trauma care,” he said afterwards.

“There’s still some clarity to be brought to the governance arrangements but we got explicit assurances from the secretary- general and the minister and the director general designate.”

The break-up of the south- east hospital network, as was recommended in an expert report is “one option”, said Mr Deasy, but has not yet been considered by the Government.

Yesterday’s meeting was one of several taking place this week on the future of the south-east’s hospitals, as politicians, consultants, and other interested parties lay out their opinions for decision-makers in Government and the HSE.

It also follows a major protest march in Waterford City on Saturday, when more than 12,000 people took to the streets in support of retaining all services currently available at WRH.

Dr Reilly is due to visit the hospital in Waterford on Friday and is expected to speak to medical staff about the report of the expert group chaired by University College Cork’s John Higgins.

It is understood that Dr Reilly will today be presented with the report by Prof Higgins.

A South-East Hospitals’ Action Alliance was formed on Monday at a meeting in Waterford and members of the alliance, chaired by Matt Shanahan, yesterday made a presentation to Oireachtas members in Leinster House.

Also on Monday night, local politicians met with consultants from WRH and St Luke’s Hospital in Kilkenny.

It is understood the Higgins report favours aligning WRH and South Tipperary General Hospital with Cork University Hospital. St Luke’s Hospital in Kilkenny would be linked with St James’s Hospital in Dublin — a move which is believed to be favoured by consultants in Kilkenny — while Wexford General would link up with St Vincent’s Hospital. Medics in Wexford have voted to stay within the south-east network.