HSE bows to public pressure as consultant’s contract extended

THE Health Service Executive (HSE) has bowed to public pressure and extended the contract for a third consultant surgeon post at a north Cork hospital.

More than 100 doctors and campaigners fighting to maintain services at Mallow General Hospital threatened public protests last week if the post was not made permanent within two weeks.

The hospital, which has a 24-hour accident and emergency unit and serves a population of 100,000 from Kerry, Tipperary, Limerick and Waterford, as well as Cork, was forced earlier this month to suspend weekend surgical cover after the HSE refused to continue funding the post.