New health areas are not what doctors ordered

We were distressed to learn from the media that our geographically rational, medically successful, and well-thought-out HSE South/Southwest network is to be replaced after a mere six years by one of the six proposed health areas.

South Tipperary General Hospital had thrived in the medical and academic network with Cork, but may now be moved to the nonsensical Area C, which stretches over 220km and has a population of 900,000. We are told that this “local” area will enable better resource management and budgetary control.