Martin denies doing U-turn on Hanly report

HEALTH Minister Micheál Martin yesterday insisted all acute hospitals could maintain their 24-hour emergency service if they produce concrete plans.

The minister rejected claims he had done a U-turn on the Hanly report by giving a commitment to maintain 24-hour emergency service at Ennis General Hospital. The controversial report recommended the downgrading of acute services in more than 25 hospitals nationwide, while centralising services in 12 regional hospitals.

It recommended the full range of emergency services only be provided in major hospitals in each region with nurse-led minor injury units in the local hospitals.

Following Mr Martin's commitment to maintain the 24-hour emergency service at Ennis, the Hospital Services Action Group accused him of doing a U-turn.

"If the minister is saying that he is providing full acute services with back-up coronary care and anaesthetic facilities, then this is a U-turn," the group's spokeswoman Dr Christine O'Malley said.

Mr Martin said it was rubbish to claim he was binning the Hanly report. "Hanly is flexible and if the regional groups can come with proposals that say we can organise 24-hour A&E services, the issue then is you have to devise methodology of doing that within the 48-hour working week which is coming through in 2009," Mr Martin added.

Mr Martin reiterated this message to the Friends of Mallow General Hospital during a visit there yesterday. The hospital is also threatened with losing its 24-hour emergency cover.

"The minister told the delegation that they are part of the second phase of the Hanly report and they should look at the model for maintaining 24-hour emergency care being proposed by Ennis and Nenagh general hospitals," Mr Martin's spokeswoman said.

But consultant cardiologist Dr John Barton accused Mr Martin of failing to specify exactly what he meant by 24-hour emergency cover.

"Does it mean that there will be a back-up staff of surgeons to deal with patients who have acute appendicitis, heart failure and bad asthma on site as well a CAT scan facility," Dr Barton asked.

"And if the answer is yes to these questions, then the Hanly report is no longer government policy." Dr Barton added: "the minister is playing a two-track game, where he is trying to stick to the implementation of the Hanly report and still tell the public they will get 24-hour emergency cover."

Consultants are currently on call and junior doctors and nurses provide the service in Ennis General Hospital.

The Mid Western Health Board has proposed providing four fully qualified doctors in the A&E, the minister said. Campaigners fighting to maintain services at the hospital took this as a sign the hospital would not be downgraded.

However, the minister said: "we are not talking about having 21 consultants on site at Ennis General Hospital in future all major trauma patients will go to Limerick."