Decision to cancel €10.5m orthopaedic unit a ‘bombshell’

THE opening of a €10.5 million, orthopaedic unit in Castlebar due to employ 78 people has been cancelled by the Western Health Board just three weeks before it was scheduled to open.

All out-patient clinics in the county were stopped without notice in January. As a result people needing hip replacements or children born with hip or foot deformities cannot even get on a waiting list to be seen by a consultant, unless they can pay for private care.

The 78 staff employed to work in the 33-bed unit attached to the Mayo General hospital have been telephoned by the health board to tell them the jobs are no longer available.