Is Ennis General Facing a further downgrade?

angelfire9

From Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/notes/friends-of-ennis-general-hospital/hiqas-report-into-ennis/222183154486836

Some interesting info from the HIQA report into Ennis General Hospital: . .


The Mid-Western Regional Hospital Ennis should not provide acute, or elective inpatient surgical services. All acute and major surgery, including major elective and cancer surgery, should be transferred to the Mid-Western Regional Hospital
Limerick.

Patients with major or complex emergency conditions should not be treated in the emergency department in the Mid-Western Regional Hospital Ennis.

In exceptional circumstances where such patients arrive in Mid-Western Regional Hospital Ennis they should be stabilised and transferred, as a priority, to a specialist centre.

A day-time minor injury service, as indicated by current activity, operating as a satellite of the regional centre should be developed and introduced.


SO Basically, the want to get rid of all of our surgery services & our A&E to give us a minor injuries clinic, such as they now have in Roscommon!

golfball37

Wouldn't be surprised as its now emerged that HIQA never even paid a visit to Roscommon general hospital but deemed it unsafe.

Independent body my a*se. Doing the governments bidding more like.

CptSternn

golfball37 wrote: »

Wouldn't be surprised as its now emerged that HIQA never even paid a visit to Roscommon general hospital but deemed it unsafe.

Independent body my a*se. Doing the governments bidding more like.

Thats crazy isn't it? That A&E was built six years ago at a cost of eight million and they claim it is 'unsafe'.

Really? Most hospitals are much older and cost lesss yet they are deemed 'safe'.

If they really think that is an 'unsafe' A&E an investigation should be launched as how can it be unsafe in like six years?

Lady Chatterton

This is a two year old report and much of the downgrade has gone ahead already. I am wondering was it posted by the official "Friends of Ennis General Group".

angelfire9

MrsD007 wrote: »

This is a two year old report and much of the downgrade has gone ahead already. I am wondering was it posted by the official "Friends of Ennis General Group".

What do you mean "official"?

Lady Chatterton

angelfire9 wrote: »

What do you mean "official"?

The official hospital group is headed up by Ciaran O'Dea, Peadar McNamara and more but the facebook group you have linked to in your post seems to be newly formed.

angelfire9

MrsD007 wrote: »

The official hospital group is headed up by Ciaran O'Dea, Peadar McNamara and more but the facebook group you have linked to in your post seems to be newly formed.

Oh right gotcha
No the one I linked to is not the one Peadar Mc & co are involved in

Palmach

CptSternn wrote: »

Thats crazy isn't it? That A&E was built six years ago at a cost of eight million and they claim it is 'unsafe'.

Really? Most hospitals are much older and cost lesss yet they are deemed 'safe'.

If they really think that is an 'unsafe' A&E an investigation should be launched as how can it be unsafe in like six years?

Standards change. I think the unsafe refers to the through put of patients rather than the physical equipment.

Lady Chatterton

"No change to services at Ennis hospital", says Dr. James Reilly

Here is a report in today's Champion.

Written by Nicola Corless

THE Mid-Western Regional Hospital in Ennis will not be further downgraded as part of a new policy being developed in relation to small hospitals, it emerged on Wednesday. According to Deputy Joe Carey, he and fellow Clare TD Pat Breen, have met with Minister for Health Dr James Reilly informally on a number of occasions since the formation of the new government and have brought up issues in relation to the reduction of services in small hospitals.
“What he said in relation to the future of Ennis hospital is that we have come through the HIQA process, there are no patient-safety issues and there will be no change to the services that are currently given at the hospital,” Deputy Carey told The Clare Champion.
According to Deputy Carey, “A policy in relation to smaller hospitals will be developed but Ennis is already there”.
A meeting of the Fine Gael parliamentary party called to discuss the controversy over hospital closures took place on Wednesday and continued into the night.

“The HIQA report in relation to Ennis was published in 2009. Minister Reilly said Ennis has come through the HIQA process and there is no patient-risk fears now. We have a dramatically reduced service introduced by the last Government and we lost surgical services, we lost 24-hour A&E and all major trauma cases are brought directly to Limerick,” Deputy Carey said.

“The hospital is working well at the present and we are committed to developing the new 50-bed ward block and works are ongoing. When fully completed, it will be the first Strategy for the Control of Antimicrobial Resistance in Ireland (SARI) compliant hospital facility in the country, public or private, which will help to combat hospital acquired infections, such as MRSA and C difficile. We are also committed to the development of an endoscopy unit, which is nearing completion,” he went on.

Downgrading of smaller hospitals has been particularly controversial in recent weeks after Roscommon Hospital’s emergency department was reduced from 24 to 12 hours on Monday. Labour TD for Clare Michael McNamara confirmed that Minister Reilly had told him there “are no repercussions for Ennis from the latest HIQA report, that it will not be downgraded as a result of it”.

“Obviously, I’m relieved about that but I anticipate that there may be further pressures on Ennis as our financial crisis approaches nadir. In the long term, the challenge that we face is to ensure that Ennis remains a category two hospital or a model two hospital, where all of the services envisaged for a model two hospital are provided. I would hope there will be no downgrading and, if anything, that there would be an improvement of services during the tenure of this Government. Unfortunately, the reality of this situation is that we are in an unprecedented economic crisis,” Deputy McNamara told The Clare Champion.

“During the lifetime of this Government, we remain committed to Ennis remaining a category two hospital but also I would like to see Ennis to transfer to a voluntary local-based board to make sure it responds and continues to respond to the health needs of the people of Clare,” he concluded.





http://www.clarechampion.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6878:no-change-to-services-at-ennis-hospital-says-dr-reilly&catid=43:health&Itemid=60

angelfire9

MrsD007 wrote: »

“During the lifetime of this Government, we remain committed to Ennis remaining a category two hospital but also I would like to see Ennis to transfer to a voluntary local-based board to make sure it responds and continues to respond to the health needs of the people of Clare,” he concluded.


http://www.clarechampion.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6878:no-change-to-services-at-ennis-hospital-says-dr-reilly&catid=43:health&Itemid=60

Thanks for the info Mrs.D

The comment above by McNamara is a bit strange though isn't it?

Lady Chatterton

angelfire9 wrote: »

Thanks for the info Mrs.D

The comment above by McNamara is a bit strange though isn't it? "I would like to see Ennis to transfer to a voluntary local-based board to make sure it responds and continues to respond to the health needs of the people of Clare,” he concluded.

A voluntary led board would give Ennis Hospital more of a say in the day to day running of the hospital. Apparently, Fine Gael and Labour have proposed the establishment of these boards as a way of overhauling the delivery of acute services.

Dr. Tom Nolan of Ennis Hospital Action Committee proposed that Ennis could be run on a new model similar to the "Downe Hospital" in Downpatrick where medical professionals, community leaders (not politicians) and other stakeholders form part of a hospital board that runs the facility.

Under the existing model, the HSE had complete control over the running of public hospitals under the direction of the Health Minister. The voluntary board concept is still at a proposal stage so nothing concrete has been put forward by the government at this stage.

angelfire9

MrsD007 wrote: »

A voluntary led board would give Ennis Hospital more of a say in the day to day running of the hospital. Apparently, Fine Gael and Labour have proposed the establishment of these boards as a way of overhauling the delivery of acute services.

Dr. Tom Nolan of Ennis Hospital Action Committee proposed that Ennis could be run on a new model similar to the "Downe Hospital" in Downpatrick where medical professionals, community leaders (not politicians) and other stakeholders form part of a hospital board that runs the facility.

Under the existing model, the HSE had complete control over the running of public hospitals under the direction of the Health Minister. The voluntary board concept is still at a proposal stage so nothing concrete has been put forward by the government at this stage.

If it isn't run by the HSE does that mean its not funded by the HSE though?

Lady Chatterton

angelfire9 wrote: »

If it isn't run by the HSE does that mean its not funded by the HSE though?

If Dr. Reilly succeeds in his plans to abolish the HSE, the hospital will be funded by the Dept of Health or a HSE replacement