Hospital campaigners scare-mongering, says Drumm

THOSE campaigning against plans to overhaul the way acute services are delivered in the north-east are “scare-mongering and acting in their own self-interest,” Health Service Executive chief Prof Brendan Drumm insisted yesterday.

Prof Drumm told the Dáil Health Committee those advocating the retention of existing hospital services in the region were doing a disservice to their community and doing nothing to help introduce better services.

The meeting was also attended by Health Minister Mary Harney, who also criticised vested interests who, she claimed, were using vulnerable patients to get the Government to change its course in reforming the health service. Ms Harney said if somebody thought they could enhance their reputation by getting her to overturn something that was in the patients’ interest, they could think again.

Prof Drumm also insisted services would continue at Monaghan General Hospital until they could be replaced with something better.

Two Cavan-Monaghan TDs, Paudge Connolly, a long-time campaigner against downgrading the hospital, and Sinn Féin’s health spokesman Caoimhghin Ó Caoláin later urged Prof Drumm to withdraw his remarks.

Mr Connolly described the remarks by Prof Drumm as “outrageous and scandalous” and went on to name a number of local people who died on their way to other hospitals in the area because they could not treated in Monaghan.

Prof Drumm insisted it was a fact people died on the way to hospital but Monaghan was no different to the rest of the country in that regard.

Most people wanted the best medical care and this was evident by 30% of people from the north-east who went to Dublin for emergency care and 50% who travelled to the capital for elective surgery.

Prof Drumm said the HSE was obliged to tackle problems in the region that were exposing patients to increased risks. And, he said, those problems existed long before the health authority was established.

During the meeting Ms Harney revealed repayments to illegally charged nursing home patients or their surviving relatives would begin in November. Up to 8,000 claims from living residents and 3,000 from the estates of deceased patients had been verified. The average payment will be €20,000 to €25,000.

Ms Harney said she expected 25,000 living residents and up to 50,000 estates to lodge claims.

She said the Breastcheck programme would be extended to the west and south-west in the spring.