All maternity care in southeast may be moved to Waterford

THE HSE said maternity services may end in hospitals in counties Kilkenny, Tipperary and Wexford as part of a “reconfiguration” process.

The move, which the HSE said has not been finalised and could take up to 10 years to complete, is likely to be met with fierce opposition in the affected areas, where huge protest marches have already been held this year against cuts in hospital services.

Regional director of operations with the HSE South Pat Healy told Oireachtas members from Wexford on Saturday that the steering group examining acute hospitals in the southeast is “considering” centralising obstetrics for the region in Waterford.

“However, this option has not been finalised and additional advice is being sought from the National Clinical Care Programme,” the HSE said yesterday.

There was “agreement” at Saturday’s meeting, the HSE said, that communication needed to be “enhanced” on the reconfiguration process.

Oireachtas members will meet HSE officials every six to eight weeks and “work to build the trust necessary to develop a consensus around the planned changes in the health services in the county and across the southeast”.

According to the HSE, no decisions have yet been made by the reconfiguration steering group on the future of the general hospitals in Clonmel, Kilkenny and Wexford or the regional hospital in Waterford and no recommendations have been drawn up.

“The steering group is determined to carefully consider all the options, rather than meet any self- imposed deadlines,” it said.

Mr Healy said Wexford will continue as a “fully-functioning” acute hospital with an emergency department, acute medicine and general surgery. It is feared locally, however, that the emergency department will not be run on a 24-hour basis and many surgical procedures will be transferred to Waterford.

Wexford-based consultant Dr Colm Quigley, resigned as chair of the steering group before a planned meeting last Friday which, according to campaigners, was due to hear reconfiguration proposals. The meeting was subsequently cancelled.

The Chair of the Save Our Acute Hospital Services Committee in Clonmel, Independent councillor Seamus Healy, called on local minister Martin Mansergh to “publicly support” South Tipperary General Hospital and call on the HSE to halt reconfiguration.

Opponents of the reconfiguration process are meeting opposition leaders Enda Kenny, Eamon Gilmore and Caoimhin O Caolain on October 13 and are also considering a legal challenge to the HSE’s plans.

“People power can and will stop this disgraceful attempt to destroy our hospital services,” Seamus Healy said.