Roscommon A&E to go in downgrading plan – Naughte

The accident and emergency department at Roscommon County Hospital is set to go in the first phase of the downgrading plans by the HSE and Government, following clarification on their proposals for Roscommon Hospital by Prof. Brendan Drumm,’ according to Denis Naughten TD.  ‘It is now crystal clear that the HSE is proceeding with the plan to move surgical services from Roscommon and have also included the transfer of the A&E to both Portiuncula and UCHG Hospitals.  ‘Rather than the HSE considering the concerns of the local people following the decision of 28th April last to implement the downgrading strategy, first announced in August 2006, they have in fact now included the downgrading of the A&E in the first phase of this plan.  ‘This clarification was provided to Denis Naughten and the other protesters at Merlin Park Hospital Galway, last Thursday, where Prof. Drumm outlined the detail of the downgrading plan and its implementation to the surgical teams at Roscommon & Portiuncula Hospitals.  ‘As the A&E closure after 8 pm and at weekends was not part of the original, first phase of the plan adopted in April, it is now plain that the HSE only introduced the proposed A&E closure for 65 percent of the week, following its meetings with the Taoiseach and Minister for Health. ‘It is also obvious that Government has washed its hands of the Roscommon Hospital issue, with Minister Harney supporting the HSE and referring questions regarding the implementation of the proposals directly to Prof. Drumm at a recent Dáil Committee meeting.  ‘And while Prof. Drumm has made numerous promises that the people of Roscommon will have a better service under the Government/HSE plan, he failed to provide any specific details of what improvements are planned, while the Minister for Health has stated that the health system will not be ‘immune’ from Government cuts in spending in the second half of the year.  ‘The HSE have also at the 11th hour called for anyone with an alternative to put it forward, but the HSE and Government have already rejected the proposal tabled by the Roscommon Consultants.  ‘It is also clear from Prof. Drumm that Portiuncula Hospital is next in line for the guillotine, with the head of the HSE stating that road traffic accidents and other trauma cases should by-pass hospitals like Roscommon and Portiuncula and go straight to Galway,’ concluded Denis Naughten.