GALWAY PATIENTS MAY HAVE TO TRAVEL TO ROSCOMMON HOSPITAL

Date Published: 15-Aug-2011

Galway patients may soon be sent to Roscommon General hospital for tests under new plans by the HSE.

The HSE West Regional Director John Hennessy told unions at a meeting in Merlin Park hospital today that they were planning to use Roscommon Hospital as a diagnostic centre for the region.

It means patient waiting lists could be shortened for day-care surgeries and diagnostic testing, but patients from the city and county may have to travel to Roscommon for the procedures.

John Hennessy also told unions SIPTU, INMO and Impact that the HSE West region is 45 million euro in deficit.

Impact Assistant General Secretary Páraic Mulligan told Galway Bay FM News after the meeting that the move will ease the pressure on the A & E unit at UHG.

Noreen Muldoon of the INMO in Galway says the new diagnostic centre in Roscommon will help reduce waiting lists for patients here.

Meanwhile there’s conflicting views on whether or not a Labour court agreement on student nurses will be replaced by qualified nurses in September.

The INMO are claiming one and a half wards at UHG will have to close if the student nurses are not replaced.

Speaking after the meeting, HSE West Regional Director John Hennessy said the HSE would do their best to implement in full the Labour Court’s recommendations.

However the INMO’s Galway representative Noreen Muldoon said her understanding from today’s meeting was that each hospital in Galway would make their own decision on student nurses.

She says that’s completely unacceptable for a national agreement.