Minister Simon Harris didn’t visit the accident and emergency department of Midlands Regional Hospital Portlaoise when he paid a recent visit to the hospital because “he didn’t want to”, according to Dr Susan O’Reilly.
“He was a bit short of time. That was the minister’s choice,” Dr O’Reilly, CEO of the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group said at this week’s Regional Health Forum Dublin-Mid Leinster.
The meeting also heard that a report on the future of the hospital is now with the Department of Health, but no reply has been received on it yet.
Dr O’Reilly said the minister had his own agenda on the day and wanted to see areas, such as the ambulatory one, and “areas that have very poor competences”.
Cllr John King pushed the case for retaining an A&E, or emergency department as it is now known, in Portlaoise, particularly as there are two prisons in the town. “There is a need for a 24/7 A&E,” he said.
“It is a complex issue,” Dr O’Reilly said.
Cllr King said Portlaoise needs additional beds, like Tullamore which had got funding for an extra 12 bed ward. “I think there is also a need for that in Laois,” Cllr King said.
“No, I don’t think so,” Dr O’Reilly replied. She said there is a “process issue” in Portlaoise and they need a better use of resources.
The role out of the community geriatric programme will also help, as it will reduce the need to bring people to the hospital.
She said the new €5m building on the grounds of the hospital “provides extra day care,” which will also help the performance of the hospital.
This new Medical Assessment Unit & Day Services Building close to the entrance on the Block Road was completed in April 2016. It is 15,000 square feet in size and comprises of a 20 bed day ward unit and a ten bed medical assessment unit.
Dr O’Reilly said a report has been completed on the future of the hospital in Portlaoise and this is with the Department of Health. She added that they have not yet received a formal response on it.
“We met with Minister Harris recently and he said it was not a “fait accompli”, Cllr Padraig Fleming said in relation to fears on the potential downgrade of the hospital.
“We met with him for an hour and a half and it was only when we came out that we heard that he didn’t go to A&E,” Cllr Fleming said. He added that he believes that Minister Harris will be meeting local GPs toward the end of March.
Dr O’Reilly said that she expects to be meeting with him on the issue also, “but I have not date for that, yet”.
