Simon Harris to visit CUMH to hear doctors’ concerns

Health Minister Simon Harris is to visit Cork University Maternity Hospital (CUMH) to hear directly from doctors who have warned they can no longer take responsibility for the health of thousands of women on gynaecological waiting lists.

Under sustained pressure in the Dáil, Mr Harris said he would travel to Cork as soon as the HSE provided him with a report on waiting times and how they intended to tackle them. There are almost 4,200 women awaiting outpatient appointments, of whom close to 800 are waiting more than a year-and-a-half.

“I’m visiting it because I want to meet with the clinicians who I have read have a number of views in relation to measures which should be undertaken. And I want to hear directly from those clinicians so I will make arrangements to do so as quickly as possible,” he said.