HSE ‘putting cart before the horse’ with closure date

THE Health Service Executive (HSE) has been accused of putting “the cart before the horse” by announcing a November closure date for the emergency department at Mallow General Hospital when alternative care plans have not yet been implemented.

Consultant anaesthetist Dr Michael Pead said it was his belief that “for us to stop being open 24/7… we need the ED to be replaced by an urgent care centre and a medical assessment unit.

“With these two units in place and functioning, over 80% of the patients we currently treat can continue to be treated at Mallow.”