Opening of new €4m A&E department delayed

An A&E department — capable of catering for 30,000 patients every year — which was due to open this month in Cork is facing further delays due to ongoing talks about staffing.

The €4m facility, at the Mercy University Hospital (MUH), was completed in January 2007 and is set to be the second biggest A&E facility in the city.

It will cater for 5,000 extra patients annually.

According to a spokesman for the MUH, the reason the facility has not yet opened is to facilitate ongoing negotiations with the Health Service Executive (HSE) with regard to the employment of 25 new staff to man the facility at a cost of €1.5m.

The hospital spokesman said that discussions were also ongoing with existing staff about work arrangements which needed to be put in place to effectively run the 24-hour facility.

Management has also confirmed that as yet the facility is not fully equipped.

Article courtesy of The Evening Echo newspaper