Flanagan: No cutbacks for Midland Regional Hospital

Fine Gael TD Charlie Flanagan has said the Midland Regional Hospital in Portlaoise will not see any curtailment of services because of the junior doctors crisis.

The politician said he had been informed that the facility would be allocated a sufficient number of workers after the posts rotate.

It had been feared that a national shortage of NCHDs would hit A and E hours at the hospital. A major protest against any downgrading had been scheduled for this Sunday.

Deputy Flanagan is due to meet staff at Portlaoise today.

He told MIdlands 103: "We're not dealing with a Roscommon situation here…Portlaoise is a busy Accident and Emergency unit. It has provided a service in excess of 41,000 procedures in the last year, according to the HSE…No change is expected now in Portlaoise."