GPs to write to Taoiseach over health service gaps due to Bantry hospital restrictions

It is understood that one case is being notified to the Irish College of General Practitioners of a person who died in West Cork while waiting for an ambulance

The Irish College of General Practitioners has asked all GPs working in the Bantry General Hospital catchment area - which has around 80,000 residents - to report to them any adverse incidents due to the restrictions which have been in place since July 26. Photo: Denis Minihane

A group of at least 44 GPs is to write to Taoiseach Micheál Martin to express concern about health services in West Cork in light of the restrictions on admissions to Bantry General Hospital.

The Irish College of General Practitioners has asked all GPs working in the BGH catchment area - which has around 80,000 residents - to report to them any adverse incidents due to the restrictions which have been in place since July 26 and which mean patients are having to be taken to Cork for treatment, sometimes by ambulance.

GPs and patients representatives are furious about the decision by the South/South West Hospital Group to restrict access to the hospital's acute services unit.

It is to remain restricted until at least September and in the interim the hospital group, which runs the hospital, says the public needs to “consider other care options” including going to their GPs and the out-of-hours service, South Doc, or, if necessary, Cork University Hospital.

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“We are, as a group, writing to Micheál Martin and to the CEO of the South/South West Hospital Group to express our grave concerns about what is happening at Bantry General Hospital," said local GP Dr Paul O'Sullivan.

“The Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP) has advised us to collate adverse incidents as well as document worsening ambulance waiting times.

“We have also been advised that we must check our own emergency bags to ensure we have sufficient equipment and drugs in anticipation of being left 'holding the can'.

“This is being done with the prospect in mind of an ambulance not arriving for hours as we attempt to stabilise unwell patients on our own.” 

It is understood that one case is being notified to the ICGP of a person who died in West Cork while waiting for an ambulance, though it is unclear whether emergency care could have saved the person’s life.

Another adverse event that is also to be reported involves a patient at Bantry’s Marino Medical Centre.

Dr O’Sullivan told the Irish Examiner that one of his patients there was forced to wait, he says, three hours “in agony” for an ambulance.

It eventually arrived, he has been told, from Kerry.

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation has called for urgent action on the services in Bantry. 

INMO Industrial Relations Officer Liam Conway said: “Patients across west Cork deserve better, and this closure is unfairly putting extra pressure on nearby hospitals. Frontline INMO members are seriously concerned for what this means for west Cork patients. They are also concerned about their situation as workers in an essentially closed-off hospital."

The South/South West Hospital Group has said its current staff shortages arose due to “unexpected issues in relation to the recruitment process” for the appointment of the “permanent consultant position” in BGH.

They said it is also due to the recent “unexpected sick leave” of staff resulting in staffing issues.

The group said: “The current issues in BGH are short-term and will be resolved in the coming weeks.” A Consultant Geriatrician from CUH will be based in BGH as of Friday, for the “coming weeks”.

"And while two additional Consultant Physicians will be commencing in BGH on August 23, the BGH consultant currently on sick leave is expected back at work by the second week in September."

And they stated: “The South/ South West Hospital Group has no knowledge of nor have we received any official reports in relation to incidents regarding the transfer of patients at Bantry General Hospital”.

The National Ambulance Service has also issued a statement saying: “The number of requests for patient transfers from Bantry Hospital is in general very low and have had no impact on NAS response times.”

A protest against admission restrictions at Bantry General Hospital is to be held on Sunday.