A crucial meeting between local GPs and Minister Simon Harris is due to take place tomorrow (Wednesday) to discuss the future of Portlaoise hospital.
The meeting was confirmed by Cathaoirleach of Laois County Council Cllr Tom Mulhall yesterday.
Laois GPs, along with hospital consultants, have formulated a detailed plan that they believe can secure the future of the hospital’s services for Laois.
The future of Portlaoise hospital has been the subject of much scrutiny since a number of scandals there.
It emerged recently that concern and frustration is being caused for staff and the public by the failure to publish the plan on the future of the hospital.
This failure to publish the plan has made it extremely difficult to recruit doctors and nurses, according to Dr Susan O’Reilly, chief executive of the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group, which includes Portlaoise hospital.
The “inherent risk” of relying on locum and other temporary staff is “unsustainable”, Dr O’Reilly warned in a letter to the Department of Health, obtained by the Irish Times under the Freedom of Information Acts.
Last year the hospital spent more than €10 million on locum staff, mostly doctors, due to an inability to fill permanent posts.
Last month the GPs declined an offer to meet Dr O’Reilly.
Instead the GPs took up the offer from Minister Harris to meet them, which he promised when he came to Portlaoise hospital last January to meet Laois councillors.
Visit
Minister Harris’s recent visit to the hospital ended controversially when it emerged that he had failed to visit the A&E unit.
Dr O’Reilly later explained that he didn’t visit there, “because he didn’t want to”. She said Minister Harris wanted to visit other areas of the hospital.
Earlier that day the Fine Gael minister had met with members of Laois County Council to discuss the future of the hospital.
He gave an undertaking at the time that there was no “fait accompli” on the future of the hospital.
SEE ALSO – Lack of clear plan is compromising future of Portlaoise Hospital – HSE manager
