Sean Fleming TD has welcomed the fact that Minister for Health Simon Harris has requested the HSE to step back from their plans to downgrade the Midland Regional Hospital in Portlaoise.
The Laois Fianna Fáil TD said, “It is also good that he is now saying further work in relation to looking at Portlaoise hospital will be undertaken directly by the Department of Health, under the Minister’s supervision and not by HSE.”
In a meeting with Minister Harris attended by the three Laois TDs, Deputy Fleming said the Minister confirmed that the Department would be taking a direct role in the matter from then on.
“It is good now that the Minister has put this on the public record.”
“Nobody was satisfied with the approach taken by HSE management in drafting up the new plan for the Midland Regional Hospital, Portlaoise. There had been no proper consultation with the clinicians in the hospital, GP’s in the region or with the people who use the hospital and the wider public in the region.”
“Accordingly that report was fundamentally flawed and I am again calling on the Minister to formally scrap this report and to publically say so,” added Deputy Fleming.
Trolley crisis
Mr Fleming also spoke about the trolley crisis in Irish hospitals.
He said, “The country is again in the middle of an A&E trolly crisis including the midland region. Unfortunately, it is little wonder that this is happening due to gross incompetence of the HSE Senior Management.”
“When you think about their contribution to dealing with this issue is to produce a report to say to close the Accident and Emergency Department in Portlaoise can only be described as ridiculous. Such a report has no place in the Irish health system,” he added.
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