Reilly: No promises on Cork hospitals

THE Health Minister has predicted another “big row” over plans to transfer elective surgical procedures to small hospitals, and makes no promises on emergency reforms at Mallow and Bantry hospitals.

Speaking in Cork yesterday, Dr James Reilly said smaller hospitals have a “huge role” to play but have not been allowed to play it.

“There is far too much focus on what is coming out of small hospitals as opposed to what is going in,” he said. “I intend that procedures which should not be going into bigger hospitals will go to the smaller ones, and there will be a big row over that too.