Monaghan Hospital to lose acute services from tonight

A protest is due to be held at Monaghan General Hospital this morning to highlight ongoing local anger over the downgrading of the facility.

Acute services will no longer be offered at the hospital from midnight tonight, with all emergency treatments being transferred to Cavan General Hospital.

The move means Monaghan will be operating as a 12-hour-a-day minor-injury unit.

The HSE says acute services are best provided by high-volume hospitals, but opponents of the move say lives will be lost due to delays in getting seriously ill people to Cavan.