CUH ‘struggling’ to meet demands

THE controversial decision to centralise Munster cancer services at a Cork city centre of excellence is causing potentially serious access, funding and capacity problems for patients and staff.

A report by the Health Information Quality Authority (HIQA) has found that Cork University Hospital (CUH) is struggling to meet demands from seriously ill patients because of the increased workload now placed on it. According to the independent watchdog’s report, since CUH breast cancer services took over the workload of those in Kerry General and the Cork city-based South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital (SIVUH) on December 1, it has met core quality and safety requirements.

However, despite this achievement, the move has caused a series of glaring difficulties for the facility, which the HSE has been told to address immediately.