John Halligan to join protest march over University Hospital Waterford

Minister of state John Halligan, who has threatened to resign over services at University Hospital Waterford in his constituency, will be joining a protest march today organised by locals concerned about the hospital’s future.

Thousands are expected to take to the streets in Waterford’s city centre for a march organised by the South East Patient Advocacy Group who say they are highlighting “the failure to implement 24/7 cardiac care” at UHW which, they say, was “promised” in 2012 by then-Minister for Health James Reilly.

Local independent TD and minister of state John Halligan has already threatened to resign if a second catheterisation laboratory for heart attack patients is not provided at UHW to boost cardiac care services, and speculation has hinged around his position since an independent report did not recommend such a second lab at the hospital.