Plan to close A&E at Mallow postponed

THE Health Service Executive is abandoning a plan to shut the emergency department at Mallow General Hospital from this month because alternative services are not yet in place.

Earlier this year, the HSE caused consternation in North Cork when it announced its intention to end the 24-hour emergency department (ED) service at Mallow this month as part of the ongoing reconfiguration of hospital services in the south of the country.

However it has now emerged that no closure date has been agreed, forcing the HSE to put on hold its plan to shut the ED and replace it with a 12-hour urgent care centre, which would treat minor injuries.

Yesterday Dr Mike Pead, consultant anaesthetist at Mallow, said closing the ED before having a service to replace it would be “a bit like sending out the wedding invitations without first agreeing a church and a venue”.

The HSE has already been warned by HIQA, the independent health watchdog, that hospitals should not lose services until alternatives are in place.

HSE plans for Mallow hospital include a new medical assessment unit — a fast-track alternative to the ED for patients who require urgent medical assessment — and a new endoscopy unit, but a planning application in relation to these developments has only just been lodged. A decision will not be made before January and the development is not expected to be completed until later in 2012.

Despite the financial crisis the HSE is facing — an estimated budget overrun of approximately €300 million by year end — Labour TD for Cork East, Sean Sherlock, said approximately €1m had been set aside for the new developments at Mallow. Both Mr Sherlock and Dr Pead said this showed a commitment to the future of the hospital.

Dr Pead said nothing had really changed at the hospital since the publication last April of a report by HIQA examining the quality and standard of services there. Emergency surgery continues to take place. Under reconfiguration, this is set to cease with the focus on elective surgery. The hospital will also concentrate on acute medical patients.

Under reconfiguration, Mallow’s cancer services have already transferred to Cork University Hospital (CUH); its ear, nose and throat paediatric inpatient and day-case admissions have also been transferred to the South Infirmary Victoria Hospital and ambulance bypass protocols for critically ill patients are in place to CUH.

CUH ED is also expected to take up the slack when the Mallow unit closes. Dr Pead said he understood CUH was not yet ready to do so.