Report on death of elderly man in hospital raises hopes of service changes

CAMPAIGNERS for improved services at Monaghan General Hospital have expressed hope that an official report into the death of an elderly farmer at the hospital last year will result in major changes to health services in the north-east.

A report ordered by Tánaiste and Health Minister Mary Harney into the death of Patrick Joe Walsh — a 75-year-old single man from Killanny, Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan — after his death from a bleeding ulcer on October 14 last was presented to the Health Service Executive earlier this week.

Doctors at Monaghan were prevented from performing a simple, life-saving operation on the patient due to restrictions imposed on them by health authorities on the kind of surgery that could be carried out at the hospital.