Opposition disturbed by conflicting reports

THE conflicting versions of events in the two reports into the death of premature baby Bronagh Livingstone were deeply disturbing, opposition parties said last night.

The reports by the North-Eastern Health Board and an independent inquiry published last night are completely at odds in their assessments of the treatment of Denise Livingstone.

The independent report condemns the moving of Ms Livingstone when she was in such a condition, while the NEHB report says the medical decisions taken were correct.

Standing by the independent report, Health Minister Micheál Martin appointed a management consultant to examine procedures at the hospital.

Fine Gael health spokesperson, Olivia Mitchell said absolute clarity was now required on what the hospitals role was in providing for the medical needs of people in the region.

“It is neither a surprise nor a consolation to the Livingstone family to hear that Denise should not have been moved. It just isn’t acceptable to turn an emergency away,” she said.

But Deputy Mitchell said that it was a tragedy waiting to happen in many hospitals.

“I do feel that concentrating solely on the protocols is to take away from the real underlying problem that has been going on at the hospital for over two years,” she said.

Labour Party health spokesperson, Liz McManus said the conflicting accounts were extraordinary.

According to Deputy McManus, it has been evident since a Medical Council report 18 months ago, that there were serious problems at Monaghan Hospital.

“It is a terrible tragedy that it took the death of a child to get things moving in Monaghan Hospital. What was the minister doing since then that it took an event like this for the serious nature of the situation in the hospital to be tackled?” she said.

Although Deputy McManus said she doesn’t believe there is a future for the maternity unit at Monaghan General Hospital, she said the Minister needed to explain why a high tech maternity ambulance promised for the region has not been provided.

The independent inquiry was ordered by Minister Martin after baby Bronagh Livingstone died in Cavan Hospital last week after her mother Denise Livingstone was refused admission to Monaghan General.

Staff at Monaghan General and the other hospitals in the North Eastern Health Board region said they hoped the report would reflect their view that the Board’s rationalisation of hospital services had left serious gaps in services for the people of Monaghan.

Earlier this week, three Monaghan based members of the North Eastern Health Board walked out in protest at the monthly meeting of the Board when the Chairman ruled that the Bronagh Livingstone case could not be discussed for legal reasons. The baby’s grandfather, Mr Jimmy Livingstone, also walked out describing the meeting as a ‘farce’.

It has also emerged that the services of Monaghan Hospital are to be further reduced from January 1 as the number of junior doctors is to be cut from seven to five in the New Year.

Doctors believe the reduction will lead to the end of 24-hour surgical services in Monaghan, and a further downgrading in acute surgery. Major elective surgery will no longer be available there.

Sinn Féin health spokesman Caoimhghín O Caoláin called on the Taoiseach to personally intervene in what he called the scandalous, reckless and life threatening downgrading of Monaghan General Hospital.