‘Voters need report on hospital’s future’

THE Government has been accused of shelving a report which, it was claimed yesterday, recommends the downgrading of Bantry General Hospital.

The mayor of Cork county John O’Shea (FG) — who is not a general election candidate — insists the decision not to make the report public, was to safeguard the Fianna Fáil vote in Cork South West.

The hospital is the only acute facility in the sprawling and mainly rural constituency. In the event of any downgrading of Bantry, some of the electorate would have to travel over 120 miles to Cork University Hospital, the closest general hospital.

Bantry-based Mr O’Shea said there was a long understanding that the review of the hospital’s surgical service would be released before the election. Yesterday, the Health Service Executive confirmed the report would not be published until June.

The delay has led to claims it was a deliberate tactic to protect, particularly, Denis O’Donovan, the sole outgoing Fianna Fáil TD.

Mr O’Donovan disputed the claim and insisted the review was taking place outside the political realm.

“This is an independent report for the HSE,” said Mr O’Donovan. “I have absolutely nothing to do with it.

“I first got into politics to protect the maternity services here and I would love this review to be positive for the hospital but, like everyone else, I will have to work with it when the report is published.

“The fact there is an election is irrelevant. We will have to look at what we have when the report is finished,” he said.

The issue threatens to further erode the Fianna Fáil vote in the west of the constituency, where Mr O’Donovan is based.

He was elected in 2002 for the first time, at the 5th attempt, when he topped the poll ahead of then Minister Joe Walsh, now retired. He faces a battle from West Cork-based PJ Sheehan (FG), who lost his seat five years ago.

Mr O’Shea, meanwhile, added that health services in the west of the constituency have been continually ignored.

He said if the review was about to recommend the removal of the surgical service in Bantry General Hospital, voters need to know.

“If the report was in any way positive... Mr O’Donovan would be claiming credit for it,” he added.

“Bearing in mind, Deputy O’Donovan recently asked the people of Bantry and West Cork to refrain from comment until after the report was published — well before the election. I am now calling on him to release the contents of the report,” he said.

The HSE south said the review of Bantry General Hospital was included in a review of its acute services in Cork and Kerry. Independent consultants Howart/Teamwork, who are conducting the review, have been given more time to look at community services.

“The scope of the review has been extended to include more in-depth analysis of (community care), in order to ensure optimum use and sharing of resources between acute and community services,” a statement said.