McKenna raises Medical Assessment Unit with HSE Forum

Feasibility report due before end of the month

Sinn Féin Councillor, Brian McKenna raised the issue of the Medical Assessment Unit at Monaghan General Hospital at the HSE’s Regional Forum when it met earlier this week.

In a question to the HSE executive Cllr. McKenna asked when it is expected that the feasibility report into the development of a M.A.U at Monaghan General Hospital will be completed. He pointed out that it was now almost three months since this work was commenced that people were led to believe that it would be completed within 6 - 8 weeks.

In a written response by HSE Area Manager, Leo Kinsella, Cllr. McKenna was informed that:

“A representative group has been established by the HSE to undertake a feasibility study on the development of a Medical Assessment Unit in Monaghan Hospital. This independent feasibility study will establish if there is a clinical need for a Medical Assessment Unit in Monaghan Hospital for the Monaghan population and establish the pay and non pay costs and internal/external support services associated with the establishment and running of a MAU in Monaghan.

“The project will demonstrate evidence of the local health demographic and local health data of the Monaghan population relevant to medical assessment unit services.

“The group commenced its work on Monday, 17th October, 2011 and the timeframe for completion of the project is 6 – 8 weeks. A report will be completed by end January 2012.

“The membership of the Group are as follows:-

“Dr. Louise Doherty, Specialist in Public Health Medicine, HSE North West;
Dr. James Hayes, Consultant Physician and Clinical Director, Cavan General Hospital;
Ms. Eileen Whelan, Director of Nursing, Louth/Meath Hospital Group, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital;
Ms. Ruth Murdiff, (Service User Panel Representative);
Mr. Robert Dancey, (Service User Panel Representative);
Mr. Gerry Clerkin, Risk Advisor, Risk Management Department, Cavan and Monaghan Hospitals;
Mr. Cathal Hand, Development Officer, Primary and Community Care, HSE Cavan Monaghan;
Dr. Ilona Duffy, General Practitioner, Monaghan.”

Speaking afterwards Cllr. McKenna welcomed that some progress had been made on this issue to date and that the feasibility report is scheduled to be published by the end of January. The Sinn Féin representative stated that his party would continue to press the HSE and the government to deliver the promised Medical Assessment Unit at a matter of urgency and priority.

“Fianna Fáil should be honest on hospital” – Brian McKenna

North Monaghan & Regional Health Forum member Cllr. Brian McKenna has welcomed the fact that Deputy Margaret Conlon has finally woken up to the potential for development at Monaghan General Hospital. However the Sinn Féin Councillor said that Fianna Fáil couldn’t have it both ways – stating that they have no say in relation to decisions affecting the hospital one minute and then claiming to be making a contribution to its future in the next sentence.

Cllr. McKenna said “perhaps if Deputy Conlon had been as positive and forceful when the HSE were removing services from Monaghan General Hospital we wouldn’t be in the situation we are now. Instead Deputy Conlon, and her Fianna Fáil colleagues, used the HSE mantra that no service would be removed until another was put in place elsewhere when clearly the HSE had failed to provide alternative and accessible services for the people. I don’t think that people will be fooled by this so called 5 point plan for Monaghan General Hospital. What Deputy Conlon should be calling for is the return of medical cover to our hospital and for the ICU to treat patients suffering from heart attacks. What has been suggested is all very low key, the bulk either already committed or being argued for by a variety of voices.

“Many of us have been battling with the HSE over the past 12 months to ensure patients from Drogheda and Dublin hospitals would be repatriated to Monaghan and we now have that commitment in place. The long promised CT scanner will soon be operational as a result of continued pressure on the HSE when both Deputy O’Hanlon and Deputy Conlon were silent on these issues.

“What the people of Monaghan now want and deserve is honesty from government representatives such as Deputy Conlon. They can force a change in HSE policy and they could have prevented services being removed from our hospital. They should acknowledge their failures to date and join with Sinn Féin, Fine Gael and the Hospital Alliance in our shared campaign to have them restored.”

McKenna secures HSE concession on repatriation of patients to Monaghan General Hospital

North Monaghan Sinn Féin Councillor and Regional Health Forum member, Brian McKenna, has received a commitment from the HSE that Monaghan General Hospital could and would receive patients from Drogheda and Dublin hospitals following procedures being carried out. Cllr. McKenna had previously highlighted the fact that only patients treated in Cavan could be transferred to Monaghan. He had pointed out the waste of step down and rehabilitation beds available in Monaghan under the previous scheme was informed at a meeting of the Regional Health Forum by Hospital Network Manager Mr. Stephen Mulvany that so long as a reasonable number of beds were available for Cavan patients returning then other patients from Drogheda or Dublin hospitals could and should be accommodated in Monaghan.

Cllr. McKenna in response to Mr. Mulvany’s statement at the meeting requested that this be communicated to the relevant people in the other hospitals. Cllr. McKenna in a statement afterwards said: “this is an issue I have raised in recent months and I know of a number of instances where the HSE have refused to repatriate patients from Drogheda back to Monaghan General Hospital to recover from operations. I very much want to welcome Mr. Mulvany’s acknowledgment of the folly of such a policy and furthermore his commitment to issue the appropriate instruction to the relevant hospitals and staff members. I would encourage people who are unable to cope at home with family members recovering from operations to insist that they are returned to Monaghan where they will receive the appropriate care from qualified staff and make visiting much easier for their relatives. There is no valid reason why beds should be empty in Monaghan and patients lying on trolleys in Cavan, Drogheda or Dublin hospitals” Cllr. McKenna concluded.

SF Regional Heath Forum rep claims HSE are putting Patient Safety at risk

North Monaghan Sinn Féin councillor and member of the Dublin/ North East Regional Health Forum, Brian McKenna, has said the HSE are putting at risk the lives of patients in North Monaghan following their relocation of the Rapid Response Vehicle from Monaghan to Castleblayney. Cllr. McKenna said:

“The North-East Transformation document drawn up prior to the removal of acute medical cover from Monaghan General Hospital promised an enhanced ambulance service which included a Rapid Response Vehicle with appropriately trained advanced paramedics to be based in the county town.

“Since the withdrawal of acute medical cover from the Louth Hospital in Dundalk the HSE have relocated this Rapid Response Vehicle to Castleblayney to provide cover in the North Louth areas. This is a hugely dangerous move and it is placing the lives of people in North Monaghan at serious risk. Where is the concern we hear regularly from HSE and Fianna Fáil spokespersons about patient safety and quality of care. The HSE and government parties have once again broken their commitments to the people of Monaghan.

“I will continue to highlight these failures on their part. Meanwhile, it is incumbent on all political parties to pressurise the HSE to honour its promises to the people. There is especially a responsibility on Fianna Fáil councillors and TD’s to once and for all stand up for the people of County Monaghan. They had the power to keep acute medical cover in Monaghan General Hospital and the failed to do so. They now have the power to have the Rapid Response Vehicle located in our county town but are remaining silent on the issue. It is the very least that the people of North Monaghan should expect” Cllr. McKenna concluded.

Brian McKenna secures Regional Health Forum backing for retention of services at St. Davnet’s Hospital

North Monaghan Sinn Féin Councillor and member of the HSE Regional Health Forum, Brian McKenna, successfully moved a motion to that body calling for the retention of the Admissions Unit and Day Care Centre at St. Davnet’s Psychiatric Hospital in Monaghan. Significantly the motion was passed unanimously by all the members present at the meeting of the forum held on Monday last.

In moving the motion Cllr. Mckenna stated that St. Davnet’s had a “proud record of service stretching back a long number of years to people in need of psychiatric support from the Cavan and Monaghan areas”. Referring to the document ‘a vision for change’ which recommends the integration of people with psychiatric illnesses into the community as opposed to the institutionalisation method Cllr. McKenna said that St. Davnet’s had led the way in this respect and indeed was now used as a template by the authors of that report.

According to the Sinn Féin representative “St. Davnet’s is now been made the victim of its own success. However many professionals within the psychiatric services still believe that there is still a need for an admissions unit at St. Davnet’s catering for people with severe problems or who have no family to support them in the wider community”.

He continued: “The proposed closure of the ‘Day Centre’ runs contrary to stated government policy as set out in the aforementioned ‘vision for change’ which encourages care in the community.” Cllr. McKenna called on the HSE to recognise the tremendous contribution that St. Davnet’s had provided and continues to provide to those in need of psychiatric services. He also stated that the fact that the Regional Health Forum had unanimously supported a motion calling for the retention of these services presented a challenge to the HSE and the government; “will they accept the wishes of the only democratic forum established under the HSE system?” he asked.

McKenna keeps pressure on HSE for Monaghan’s CT Scanner

The Sinn Féin representative on the H.S.E. Regional Health Forum, Cllr. Brian McKenna, raised the issue of the long promised CT scanner for Monaghan General Hospital at Monday’s meeting of the body. In a question to HSE officials Cllr. McKenna asked if the new CT scanner had been installed; if not, when would it be so; and when will the necessary staff to operate the scanner be in position?

In their response the HSE stated that “the new CT scanner for Monaghan Hospital has been delivered and is currently being installed and is due to be commissioned in the near future. Training for staff has been ongoing and the service is expected to commence in June on a phased basis initially, with support from Radiology Staff in Cavan. A total of 1.2 WTE Posts has been agreed under the Transformation programme for this service.”

In reply Cllr. Mckenna expressed disappointment with the HSE response stating that it appeared that the operational date for the scanner has been put on the long finger once again, this time till June. “At our meeting in January I was informed that the CT scanner would in commissioned by mid-February. This is not acceptable and I will be doing my best to ensure that it is put in place, as promised, as soon as possible” he concluded.

Ó Caoláin demands Ministerial intervention to stop “savage mental health cuts” in Co. Monaghan

Sinn Féin Health spokesperson and Cavan-Monaghan TD Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin has revealed that the HSE is planning to close the 12-bed Admissions Unit and the Day Centre for patients with mental illness at St. Davnet’s Psychiatric Hospital in Monaghan town.

The Sinn Féin Dáil leader has called on the Minister of State for Mental Health, John Moloney TD, to intervene immediately to prevent what Deputy Ó Caoláin described as “savage cuts to mental health services” in County Monaghan.

Deputy Ó Caoláin said:

“It was disclosed within the HSE North East this week that the HSE is planning to close the 12-bed Admissions Unit at St. Davnet’s Psychiatric Hospital in Monaghan and to move the unit to Cavan General Hospital. This would be a severe blow to services for people with mental illness in Co. Monaghan. It would also mean further pressure on already over-stretched services in Cavan.

“I understand that a second severe blow is planned by the HSE with the proposed closure of the Day Centre at St. Davnet’s. This Centre caters for people living in the community and it is a vital facility. Its closure would run totally contrary to Government policy as set out in A Vision for Change which encourages care in the community rather than institutionalisation. It would remove from people those vital supports that assist them to live normal lives in their communities.

“It is estimated that mental health services are to be cut by some €5 million in Cavan and Monaghan in 2010. These savage cuts to mental health services must be stopped. I have today written to the Minister of State for Mental Health, John Moloney TD, to demand his immediate intervention to stop the HSE from going ahead with these cuts.

“Last year I led a cross-constituency delegation of my party, including the then Mayors of Counties Monaghan and Cavan, on a visit to St. Davnet’s when we presented a strong case for the retention of the Admissions Unit at the St. Davnet’s campus. We will work with determination, and with all who genuinely share our stated objective, to try to ensure that the axe does not fall on yet another vital health facility in County Monaghan.”

“Monaghan Patients Denied Access to Recuperation in Monaghan Hospital!” - McKenna

The Sinn Féin member on the Regional Health Forum, Brian McKenna, has described as “scandalous” the confirmation from the HSE this week that Monaghan patients who have procedures carried out in any hospital other than Cavan General cannot and will not be repatriated to recuperate and recover in Monaghan. This is despite the fact that 26 non-acute beds had been set aside in the hospital under the North-East Transformation Programme.

The North Monaghan councillor was speaking after making representation to the HSE on behalf of two Monaghan patients, one from Cavan Hospital and the other from Our Lady of Lourdes in Drogheda, to be repatriated to Monaghan hospital to recuperate following recent procedures.

Speaking this week an angry Cllr McKenna said: “This, in my opinion, represents yet another u-turn on the part of the HSE in relation to what they promised the people of this county under the North-East Transformation Programme. We were told that the 50 acute beds in Monaghan General Hospital would be reduced to 26 non-acute, 13 of which would be for rehabilitation and 13 a mixture of step-down/ respite/ convalescent beds. The HSE are now saying these beds are only for patients who are referred back from a stay in Cavan Hospital and if a patient is returning from Drogheda or a Dublin Hospital then they must go home or possibly to a nursing home if one can be found with a free bed.

“This is outrageous and a breach of trust and faith by the HSE with the people of this county. I would encourage families to refuse to accept family members from Drogheda or Dublin hospitals who return within days of operations and have no facilities or family members to look after them. This is an issue I intend to raise at the next meeting of the Regional Health Forum”.

Cllr. McKenna also called on local Fianna Fáil representatives to “once and for all get of the sidelines” on the issue of Monaghan General Hospital. The fact is that this government can intervene to not only resolve this issue but indeed ensure that all services previously removed can be restored to our hospital. Unfortunately the local Fianna Fáil councillors and TD’s have shown little appetite to stand up to their own party on this issue.

“It is also ironic that this news has been revealed just a little over a week since the Fine Gael members joined Fianna Fáil in ensuring that visiting Ministers to our county can now waltz in without being confronted on this issue by elected representatives in an official capacity.”

Cuts and overcrowding increase danger of hospital infections – Ó Caoláin

Commenting on the serious outbreak of the C Difficile hospital-based infection in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda, Sinn Féin Health & Children spokesperson Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin said that current and further proposed cutbacks in hospital services, as well as hospital centralisation, would make the battle against the infection much more difficult. He said:
“There is great concern in the North East region and across the country at the situation in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda. For over a week now this serious infection outbreak has seen three wards and 70 beds closed, most ambulance and GP referrals sent to other hospitals and a bar on visitors. The coroner has been notified of four fatalities in which C Difficile may have been a contributory factor.

“The Lourdes is the largest hospital in the North East region covering Counties Cavan, Louth, Meath and Monaghan. It is already greatly overstretched, not least because of the removal of acute services from Monaghan General Hospital last July, resulting in greater pressure on the Lourdes and on Cavan General Hospital.

“This situation is set to worsen with the planned removal of acute services from the Louth County Hospital at Dundalk at the end of the year. Overall, the Government and HSE policy of centralisation of hospital services, as well as current and further proposed cutbacks affecting staff and other resources, will make the battle against hospital-based infections much more difficult.

“In the Dáil last week Health Minister Mary Harney admitted the inadequacy of the hospital system to address C Difficile, MRSA and other hospital-based infections because of the lack of single rooms in which to isolate patients. This need was raised many times with the Minister and her predecessor, including by myself, but no effective action was taken when the resources were there. Now they plead lack of resources.

“It is long past time that this Minister and this Government stopped playing Russian roulette with citizens lives. I call on Brian Cowen, Mary Harney and company to restore our hospital services across the North East, to restore patient safety to its deserved importance, to abandon their co-location and privatisation agendas and, by these actions, help restore public confidence in our public health system.”

Cuts based on McCarthy Report will destroy health services – Ó Caoláin

August 21, 2009
Sinn Féin Dáil leader and health spokesperson Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin TD has challenged Health Minister Mary Harney to put plans for up to €800 million in health service cuts before the Dáil on its resumption in September. He said that if such cuts are proceeded with and are based on the proposals in the McCarthy ('Bord Snip Nua') Report they "will destroy our public health services".
Deputy Ó Caoláin said:
"The confidential letter revealed this week from Minister Harney's Health Department to the HSE calls for up to €800 million in cuts to our public health services in 2010. It requires the HSE to bring forward cuts on the basis of the McCarthy ('Bord Snip Nua') Report. If implemented the savage cuts proposed by McCarthy would see thousands of people losing their medical cards, new charges for all prescriptions including those for medical card holders, higher costs to all patients for medicines, higher charges for hospital and nursing home care and means testing for home care for vulnerable older people. Such cuts, in addition to those already being imposed since the autumn of 2007, will destroy our public health services.
"I challenge Health Minister Harney to put any proposed package of cuts before the Dáil immediately on its resumption in September. This is about the future of our public health services and Minister Harney and her Fianna Fáil/Green Government colleagues must set out exactly what they are proposing. They must be accountable and cannot hide behind the HSE or hope to conceal from the people the real impact and the long-term implications of savage health cuts.
"We in Sinn Féin will continue to vigorously oppose the Government's attacks on our public health services."