Taoiseach Simon Harris calls for ‘openness’ to idea of second ED in Mid-West

Staff Reporter, 19 Aug


Government should be “open” to the idea of a second emergency
department in the Mid-West, the Taoiseach has said.

Simon Harris’s comments come amid persistent criticism of University
Hospital Limerick (UHL) management by Health Minister Stephen Donnelly
and HSE chief executive Bernard Gloster.

Scheduled care has been cancelled at five hospitals and injury units in
the Mid-West, including at Ennis Hospital, for an indefinite period in
a bid to address patient flow issues at UHL.

Mr Donnelly has called for a range of reforms around management and
clinical leadership at the hospital.

Mr Harris said on Sunday that a report into serious issues at the
hospital was due to be brought to the minister “very shortly”.

He said Government would follow the recommendations of that report
“without fear of favour”.

Mr Harris: “I think when it comes to the Mid-West, we should have an
openness to a second emergency department, if that is the outcome of
the HIQA (Health Information and Quality Authority) review.

“There is absolutely a need for more bed capacity in the Mid-West. I
recognise that, the minister recognises that.

“We have increased bed capacity significantly – but it’s also true to
say that there are serious issues, I believe, in relation to how the
health services in the Mid-West are being managed.”

The Taoiseach added: “I think it is fair to say, by any objective
standards, there are serious issues (at UHL) that go beyond the
conversation just around investment.”

Speaking to reporters at the Tullow Agricultural Show in Carlow, Mr
Harris said the Health Minister was right to “look at how hospitals are
being run and managed”.

He said there was a need to have a “balanced conversation” between the
issues of investment and reform.

Asked if he agreed with the minister that there was a lack of a culture
of productivity in public hospitals, Mr Harris said: “Words like
productivity and the likes – we can sometimes forget what we’re talking
about here.

“What we’re talking about here is the people of Ireland wanting to know
when they get sick that they can access a health service that will look
after them well.”

The Taoiseach said that issues at some hospitals could not be solved by
investment alone.

Recalling his own time holding the health portfolio, Mr Harris said:
“If it was a question of just investment, then many of the challenges
that patients face would’ve been met.”

In an interview with the Business Post on Sunday, Mr Donnelly suggested
that there should be productivity incentives in the public healthcare
system.

Asked if there needed to be a reconsideration of incentives in public
hospitals, Mr Harris said: “I certainly think that is something that we
should keep under consideration.”

READ MORE: Limerick woman doing weekly shop when car was poleaxed
thanks emergency services

He added: “Look, I’m really conscious that people who work in
healthwork work bloody hard.

“Nurses, doctors, allied healthcare professionals – I’m very proud of
the work they do.

“But I’m also conscious that sometimes they can get frustrated about
the environment in which they work, they can feel that they’re bogged
down in bureaucracy, they can feel that things are too layered and
really what we need to do is make sure we’re empowering clinicians to
do their jobs – and I think we should listen to them more about the
efficiencies that can be made in their own hospitals.”