Future of Bantry A&E still uncertain

TAOISEACH Brian Cowen refused to give any commitment to saving the 24-hour A&E unit at Bantry General Hospital when he visited West Cork.

Mr Cowen said that no decision had been made on axing the unit, despite a leaked report which suggested that all 24-hour A&E services should be centralised to Cork University Hospital (CUH).

The Taoiseach said that nothing had been finalised and that the report was still a work in progress.

Tommy Barry, chairman of the friends of Bantry Hospital, said his organisation would never accept proposals to provide acute services on a 8am to 8pm, Monday to Friday basis at the hospital.

“The information given to us by the medical professionals within West Cork and South Kerry and the statistics from Bantry General Hospital show that 67% of patients that present for emergency care come after 8pm.

“Unless we can retain our 24-hour acute hospital status, patients’ lives will be lost needlessly on the roads between West Cork and CUH,” Mr Barry said.

His organisation has ran a 10-week campaign to retain the service and collected a petition containing 30,000 signatures.

“We have been given a mandate by the citizens of West Cork and South Kerry to give a message loud and clear to the HSE and the present Government that we will not accept any dilution of the acute status,” Mr Barry added.