Consultants hit out at ending of weekend emergency surgery

CONSULTANTS at a Cork hospital have sought an urgent meeting with both the Health Service Executive (HSE) and the Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) over plans to cut weekend emergency surgery services.

Aonghus Twomey, consultant surgeon and chair of the consultant medical staff at Mallow General Hospital, and Dr Cornelius Cronin, consultant physician and secretary of the consultant medical staff, warn they will not accept responsibility for the “dangerous consequences for patients” of failure to provide round-the- clock emergency surgery cover seven days a week.

The loss of weekend cover follows the termination of a temporary consultant surgeon post at the end of March.