Startling cardiac patient statistics at hospital cannot be ignored: Reilly
Speaking during a Dáil debate on the future of emergency departments (EDs) at the country’s smaller hospitals, Dr James Reilly said he had seen a draft report containing statistics based on a survey of cardiac patients at Roscommon and Galway. He said “some of them are so startling I do not think you could ignore them”. He said the poor survival rate for heart patients at Roscommon Hospital was not a reflection on its doctors but on an absence of the appropriate skill sets and the fact that “there’s no ability to put a stent in, which is now the standard of care that’s required”.
Dr Reilly was defending the Health Service Executive (HSE) decision to remove Roscommon’s ED from next Monday, a move condemned by the opposition. Instead, patients will have to make do with an Urgent Care Centre (UCC), open from 8am-8pm — although the minister said last night he is hoping that with adequate staffing, it will remain open overnight. The UCC will treat minor injuries.
