Restoration of services ‘may not stop repeat of tragedy’
There was a cautious welcome locally for the decision which is due to come into effect as soon as staff are recruited to fill the five additional junior doctor positions sanctioned.
Peadar McMahon of the community campaign group, the Monaghan Hospital Alliance, said he hoped it was the beginning of the restoration of a full range of specialist services which have been withdrawn from the hospital in a gradual downgrading in recent years.
But he said he was not convinced the U-turn would safeguard against a recurrence of the December 2002 tragedy when Denise Livingstone was turned away from Monaghan in the middle of a difficult labour and her baby, Bronagh, died in an ambulance after being born en route to another hospital.
“If it will only be junior doctors manning the A&E then their ability to cope with another situation like that would be very limited because they will still not have the specialist skills to deal with an obstetrics emergency,” he said.
“The protocol will still be to divert the mother to Cavan General Hospital so we could still end up with another Bronagh Livingstone. We don’t feel the protocols or facilities or staff available under this new arrangement would be able to prevent a similar tragedy happening again.”
The move was announced by outgoing Health Minister Micheal Martin.
Along with the restoration of a full-time emergency service at Monaghan General, the hospital is to get an expanded A&E department. It is also to get 10 extra beds, a CAT scan service and selective non-emergency surgery will be resumed.
Its nearest neighbour, Cavan General will get 19 extra beds and three new surgeons.
