DISAPPOINTMENT HAS BEEN EXPRESSED by the Mid-West Hospital Campaign over the absence of UL Hospitals Group’s CEO from Tuesday’s Regional Health Forum meeting which resulted in the deferral of a motion relating to Ennis hospital.
A reversal of the decision to close emergency units at Ennis Hospital, Nenagh Hospital and St John’s Hospital was sought in a proposal to the Forum from the Mid-West Hospital Campaign. The proposal was to be raised on their behalf by Lahinch based Cllr Liam Grant (GP) and Cllr Seamus Morris (IND) from Tipperary.
The proposal stated that “the reconfiguration strategy which centralised trauma care at University Hospital Limerick has failed in its objective to provide safer care to patients”. It maintained that “consistent overcrowding” at UHL would be addressed by reversing the closure and upgrading them to model three hospitals.
Due to the absence of UL Hospitals Group CEO, Colette Cowan from the meeting, the proposal was deferred. Ms Cowan’s attendance had been confirmed until it emerged during the meeting that she would not be present. The proposal will be discussed at the next forum sitting in the summer.
Noeleen Moran of the Mid-West Hospital Campaign in a statement said the group would not be deterred from the minor setback. “This issue is too important to ignore and it deserves a hearing and to be properly addressed. We are disappointed but we won’t be giving up on this. We hope that Ms Cowan will make herself available to be present at the next meeting”.
