Hours cut at Roscommon hospital

From today, 24-hour services end at the urgent care centre at Roscommon hospital that last month replaced the hospital’s emergency department, and the facility will now be open from 8am to 8pm.

The Irish Association for Emergency Medicine has criticised the term “urgent care centre” for the downgraded Roscommon unit, describing it as misleading and potentially dangerous given that only minor injuries will be treated there.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny was accused of “vindictiveness” and “sour grapes” at a protest outside Roscommon hospital on Saturday as more than 500 people gathered to mark the start today of a 12-hour service at the former emergency unit.

Campaigners have vowed to take their protest to Croke Park next Sunday week, where they hope to confront the Taoiseach at the All-Ireland football semi-finals where Mayo seniors take on Kerry and Roscommon minors line out against Tipperary.

Cllr Paula McNamara, a member of the Roscommon Hospital Action Committee, claimed the downgrading of the unit had been sparked by sour grapes between Mr Kenny and local TD Denis Naughten.

“It is too bad that the people of Roscommon have to pay for Enda Kenny’s vindictiveness,” she told the gathering.

Her colleague Cllr Valerie Byrne said it was significant that Mr Kenny had made the announcement about the hospital when he was opening Mr Naughten’s new office in June.

The relationship between the two Fine Gael men has been strained since Mr Naughten backed Richard Bruton for the party leadership. He was subsequently demoted by Mr Kenny as a frontbench spokesman.

Speaking at the protest chairman of the committee John McDermott called on the Health Information and Quality Authority to carry out an immediate audit of services under the new regime. “Come down now and tell us that we have a safe service and that we won’t have our friends, neighbours and family members dying on the side of the road,” said Mr McDermott.

He told the crowd that the committee had received apologies from deputies Naughten and Luke Ming Flanagan who were away, but there were jeers when he said they had not heard from Fine Gael TD Frank Feighan.

Mr Feighan voted with the Government in the Dáil on this issue while Mr Naughten lost the party whip after voting against the removal of services.

The hospital action committee has repeatedly questioned the Government’s insistence that Hiqa found that the emergency unit was not safe, given that the authority never visited the hospital.

Staff have also disputed Minister for Health James Reilly’s assertion that the mortality rate among cardiac patients in Roscommon was 21 per cent, saying the real figure was 5 per cent.

At the weekend protest Mr McDermott said that even the Health Service Executive was calling it a minor injuries unit – a notice outside the former emergency unit advises patients that it will not now cater for patients with chest pain, abdominal pain, gynaecological problems, serious head injuries, pregnancy-related problems or pelvis or hip fractures.

Among those who took part in the weekend rally outside the hospital were former Roscommon parish priest Fr Charles Travers who said he was there “in solidarity and support” of the local people.

Fr Travers described the downgrading as “a slight on democracy” given the pre-election promises made by the Government parties. “The people have been let down,” he said.