Neurologist's retirement to leave West Cork patients on longer waiting lists at CUH

A public meeting on the West Cork service heard CUH will provide cover by their existing doctors from June but campaigners say this is not sufficient

Ruth O'Brien, from Glengariff, who is living with Multiple Sclerosis travels from Glengariff to Cork for treatment. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

A neurologist providing vital care for people with Parkinson’s disease and other conditions at Bantry Hospital is set to retire next month, leaving the facility reliant on staff from other hospitals for such care.

A public meeting on the West Cork service heard Cork University Hospital (CUH) will provide cover by their existing doctors from June but campaigners say this is not sufficient.

Dr Olivier DeBuyl has run weekly clinics covering general neurology and specialist sessions for some years now.  “My waiting list is increasing slowly,” he said, noting: “I intend to retire at the end of May.” 

Even with cover arranged, he expects to continue after retirement with one specialist clinic — neurophysiology — saying: “It's going to be difficult to find somebody who can do that particular skill”.

His patients come from as far as Mizen Head and he cautioned they would be facing a challenging journey if their care was relocated to CUH. 

He explained: “People that we see in neurology clinics have disabilities and it's much easier to get to Bantry than to get to Cork.” 

He also sees patients from Clonakilty or Bandon, saying: “Their GPs find it easier to refer to me maybe because the waiting list is better (than CUH's)”.

Professor Aisling Ryan, neurologist at CUH, also spoke in support of recruitment.

“We've been aware of his (Dr DeBuyl’s) plans for retirement for several years and this is something we've been advocating for many years,” she said.

It is now crunch time, she said, emphasising CUH is one of only two tertiary referral centers for neuroscience.

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The service is “functioning really well for the people of Bantry and the surrounding area,” she said.

As well as challenges around travel and parking at CUH, she said consultants are already busy.

“We all have existing waiting lists and huge pressure on our services here already so it would be extremely difficult to absorb the care of a large existing cohort of patients immediately into (CUH),” she said.

MS patient Ruth O’Brien lives in Glengarriff and works in Bantry but her care has always been at CUH.

“It's a day off work — it's five or six hours in the hospital and then it's the tiredness afterwards and having to face a long journey home,” she said of her treatments.

Parking and the cost of parking at CUH is “a huge issue” she said.

“And then you come to the likes of Bantry Hospital which is a wonderful facility locally,” she said. “It’s close to the town and the parking is lot better.” 

The meeting was hosted by the Neurological Alliance of Ireland.

Magdalen Rogers, executive director, said they hope to see these staffing gaps addressed in the next health budget.

“Our budget ask is for five consultant neurologists for five regional hospitals around the country,” she said. “Bantry is one of those hospitals.” 

The others are Wexford, Portlaoise, Letterkenny, and Mayo.