Report into Cork’s acute services ‘flawed’

THE board of one of Cork’s biggest hospitals has described the consultants’ report into hospital services in Cork as “seriously flawed” and “based on outdated and inaccurate data”.

The Mercy University Hospital (MUH), describing itself as having a “very proud and long tradition of acute care provision”, said there is no evidence that the concentration of acute care in one centre and the elimination of choice will benefit patients.

The hospital’s board flatly rejected the report, which is seeking to make Cork University Hospital a regional centre of excellence. A spokesman for the board said it will continue to provide care “in the best interest of patient care”.

“The report differs very substantially from previous reviews of acute care services in Cork, which saw a continuation of the provision of acute care at MUH.

“The report contains a number of assumptions for which there would be very limited medical and clinical validation,” he said.

The MUH Board of Governors met last Monday to consider a draft of the teamwork report and rejected it.

Chief executive of the South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital (SIVUH) Gerard O’Callaghan struck a more conciliatory note.

“This report is only one of many that will inform the deliberations of the recently established Reconfiguration Forum. The ultimate objective of this forum is to improve acute hospital services in the region. We at SIVUH will play our role in achieving this objective. We also see the reconfiguration process as an opportunity to develop services at the hospital,” he said.

Long-time supporter of Mallow General Hospital, Labour’s Sean Sherlock said that the centralisation of A&E services will be a “crisis” for the people of Mallow.

“This is not an independent report. It is a politically-driven agenda. They want to get rid of the A&E and then ultimately get rid of the hospital – a hospital that has proven repeatedly to be one of the most efficient in the country,” he said.

Former Mayor of Cork, Fine Gael Councillor John O’Shea said: “We have the most aged population in the country. We must have access to proper patient care.”

Like Mr Sherlock, he said the report was a Fianna Fáil/CUH political agenda.

But Fianna Fáil local election candidate in Mallow, Trish O’Dea was arguing yesterday that the report didn’t mean “an end to surgical availability”.

“It will still be there as it is now, to stabilise a patient before they are transferred to Cork if they have more complex needs. The door has to be open in Mallow 24 hours a day with full surgical cover. I will fight for that all the way,” she said.

West Cork Fianna Fáil TD, Christy O’Sullivan said he will continue to represent the interest of his constituents who are “angry” about the report.

Labour senator in west Cork, Michael McCarthy said it is “ludicrous” to think that one hospital can provide all the acute services for Cork and Kerry.