Why downgrade an outstanding medical team?

IN October 2008 my husband and I wrote to the Taoiseach and to Health Minister Mary Harney about our serious concerns for the future of Bantry General Hospital and the devastating effect downgrading would have on those of us living in rural west Cork and south Kerry.

In December we received a reply from the Department of Health and Children which included the following statement: “The National Hospitals Office of the HSE is currently reviewing acute hospital services in the HSE South and has engaged in a process of reconfiguration of hospital services which aims to determine how best the service can be delivered into the future. The surgical and casualty service at Bantry are part of this process. However, no definitive decisions have been taken at this time.”

In November, my husband was admitted to Bantry hospital where he underwent an extremely thorough evaluation and was subsequently diagnosed as suffering from an advanced stage of terminal cancer, so already beyond the possibility of any treatment proving effective and from which, tragically, he has since died.

During his stay in Bantry hospital I saw for myself the excellent care hereceived and cannot speak highly enough of the dedication, expertise and kindness shown to him throughout from all levels of staff at the hospital.

I fully appreciate that certain specialised departments must remain under the auspices of the much larger Cork hospitals, with their immediate access to enhanced facilities, specialist equipment and an extensive range of consultants.

By all means let them be our “centre of excellence” for the region.

However, it would appear to me to be an act of sheer folly to even consider downgrading Bantry hospital.

To do so would be to put at risk the lives of people living in remote areas of west Cork and south Kerry, for many of whom it would take upwards of two hours to travel to a hospital in Cork city.

What about the “golden hour” we keep hearing about?

In my opinion it is essential to continue to provide full A&E facilities and to replace the retiring consultant surgeon. In other words, I believe it is of paramount importance that the HSE retains the current availability of a 24-hour emergency surgical service and a 24-hour casualty service at Bantry hospital.

Gay Hartley

Tigh Kirwan

Coomleigh West

Bantry

Co Cork