Yesterday Dr Mike Pead, consultant anaesthetist at Mallow, said closing the ED before having a service to replace it would be “a bit like sending out the wedding invitations without first agreeing a church and a venue”.
The HSE has already been warned by HIQA, the independent health watchdog, that hospitals should not lose services until alternatives are in place.
Under reconfiguration, Mallow’s cancer services have already transferred to Cork University Hospital (CUH); its ear, nose and throat paediatric inpatient and day-case admissions have also been transferred to the South Infirmary Victoria Hospital and ambulance bypass protocols for critically ill patients are in place to CUH.
CUH ED is also expected to take up the slack when the Mallow unit closes. Dr Pead said he understood CUH was not yet ready to do so. (Examiner) >
Filed under: Hiqa, HSE, Mallow General, Mike Pead Tagged: Reconfiguration
