*Marie McMahon. Photograph: Martin Molloy
A LOCAL health group is to initiate a judicial review into the Government’s decision to reconfigure hospital services in the Mid-West.
Following the Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (FG) announcing the HSE was to purchase a €14m site for a new hospital in Raheen, the Mid-West Hospital Campaign has confirmed plans to initiate a judicial review against the decision.
In a statement to The Clare Echo, the Mid-West Hospital Campaign said they had “hoped that Clare County Council would take a leading role in challenging the decision”. The local authority had identified lands suitable for the potential development of a new hospital to the HSE and motions had been passed by county councillors supporting the development of a model three or four hospital in the county town.
Ennistymon woman Marie McMahon said they remain disappointed that stronger leadership has not been shown by elected representatives in County Clare on an issue they believe is of critical importance to the future healthcare needs of the county.
She was critical of the attendance of Mayor of Clare, Cllr Paul Murphy (FG) in University Hospital Limerick (UHL) when the Minister announced the new Raheen hospital.
Starting a legal process can prompt renewed engagement and urgency from those elected to represent the people of Clare, Hilary Tonge maintained. She outlined that their decision to pursue a judicial review was taken after careful consideration and reflects the deep concern felt across communities in the county. “A judicial review isnot about asking a court to decide where a hospital should go. It is about ensuring that the decisionmaking process was fair, transparent and properly considered the evidence and the voices ofthe communities affected”.
Marie said the legal process will examine whether the decision-making process was fair, evidence based and transparent.
The Mid-West Hospital Campaign Clare confirmed that it will not be commenting further on the specific legal strategy at this time. Campaign representatives also said that since announcing their intention to pursue legal action they have received significant encouragement and support from members of the public and others who share concerns about the future of healthcare services in the Mid-West. They said the response has strengthened their determination to ensure that the concerns and experiences of the people of Clare are properly heard and considered through the legal process.
“For the people of Clare, this decision feels like they’ve been left behind once again. Communities here are already travelling long distances and facing overcrowded emergency departments, and this decision risks continuing that reality for years to come. Behind all of these reports and policies are real people. Families in Clare have had extremely difficult and sometimes traumatic experiences trying to access urgent care, and they deserve a healthcare system that recognises those realities. The people of Clare cannot be expected to continue enduring this level of healthcare inequality”.
