Minister to receive report on cuts and prevention of deaths

A REPORT looking at ways to prevent the deaths of people denied access to healthcare services because of cuts in local hospitals is expected to be on the Health Minister’s desk in days.

The Bonner Report was due to be completed a number of months ago. It was commissioned by Health Minister Micheál Martin shortly after the death of the baby Bronagh Livingstone, who died after her 32-year-old mother Denise went into premature labour last December 11 and was refused treatment at Monaghan Hospital because maternity services had been suspended there.

She was instead driven the 25-mile journey to Cavan General Hospital by ambulance and gave birth en route to Bronagh, who weighed less than 2lbs. Bronagh died shortly after she arrived at the hospital.

Management consultant Kevin Bonner was asked to look at how recommendations made in the Livingstone report could be implemented.

These include:

an out-of-office hours service to be continued at Monaghan General;

a ‘runner nurse’ to travel in the ambulance with relevant experience to deal with emergencies;

and an emergency maternity squad to be established that would travel from a centre of excellence to local hospitals in Monaghan or Cavan instead of making women in labour travel for the expertise.

Cavan/Monaghan Independent TD Paudge Connolly said the minister had confirmed on Wednesday night that the Bonner Report would be published within two weeks.

“The report was instigated to oversee how the Livingstone report was to be implemented. I believe it has been delayed because there is a cost implication and Mr Bonner needed to check with the Department of Health on whether the funding would be available.

“Whether his plan will look at the out-of-hours emergency needs at Monaghan Hospital I don’t know, but emergency care has been dealt with. He seems to believe the report will satisfy 98% of the people,” Mr Connolly said.

It is understood that one avenue looked at by Mr Bonner to address out-of-hours cover was using GPs to cover emergency calls. This is believed to have been rejected as GPs are not trained A&E consultants.

Mr Connolly said he was surprised more people had not died as a result of health cutbacks and believed there was now a tacit acceptance in the health service that lives would be lost.

“Even though there is an acceptance that people’s lives will be lost, they are still going ahead with plans for centres of excellence. In every emergency you might only have hours to live and the sooner you are treated the better your chances of survival,” Mr Connolly said.