Minister due to inspect UHG “chaos” within weeks

The Minister for Health will visit UHG “in a matter of weeks” to witness first-hand why the hospital has been deemed unfit for purpose – and assess which facilities could be moved to Merlin Park.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny gave assurances in the Dáil this week that Simon Harris will visit the hospital – despite cancelling a previously scheduled visit on December 16.

It comes amid the leaking of a damning report this week – covered extensively in this week’s Galway City Tribune – which branded the Emergency Department as “shocking and disturbing”, with staff trying their best to manage a “chaotic situation”.

The Taoiseach came under fire in the Dáil from Galway West Deputy Catherine Connolly, who accused him and the Government of failing to grasp the situation.

“We are at crisis point. The situation is causing deaths and leading to ill health.

“The [hospital] authorities want two things. They want immediate confirmation of investment in the Accident and Emergency unit to make it fit for purpose and, more important, they want confirmation of approval so they can proceed with examining priorities for a new hospital. The system is failing. The system itself is ill, leading to people becoming ill and dying,” she said.

In response, Mr Kenny cited a series of improvements and investments which have been made on the UHG campus, adding: “The Minister for Health is going to go down to UHG very shortly both to look at the conditions of the ED and to discuss what might be possible to have put in Merlin Park. He was due to visit Galway before Christmas, but it was not possible to do so. He wants to go there, and will be there in the next matter of weeks.”

For extensive coverage of the UHG crisis and details of the leaked report into the Emergency Department, see this week’s Galway City Tribune.
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