Service plan cuts to hurt locally – missing patient figures could be greater concern
Local TD Denis Naughten has expressed concern at the HSE’s failure to publish its target for the number of patients to be treated at Roscommon and Portiuncula Hospitals this year.
“It is normal practice for the HSE to set out in its service plan its target for treating inpatients and day patients at its hospitals. However the service plan published last Friday did not include these figures,” stated Denis Naughten.
“What makes the situation even more bizarre is the fact that the other two regional service plans published – HSE Dublin North East and HSE South – outline exactly how many patients were treated in each hospital last year and the specific targets for each hospital in both regions for 2012.
“The HSE West service plan should have set out how many patients are to be treated in Roscommon County Hospital as well as the number of day case procedures and the corresponding figures for the other hospitals, including Portiuncula.
“What makes this even more bizarre is the fact that the Government has made such play on the fact that it was going to treat more patients than ever before at Roscommon Hospital, but this commitment is nowhere to be seen in the HSE West service plan. The big question is why?”
Denis Naughten continued: “This service plan is very detailed in some areas, including the planned closure of beds at the Sacred Heart Hospital and cuts to home help. But with all this detail, why is it that crucial elements relating to Roscommon Hospital, elements which were included in the Government’s latest set of promises since they closed our A&E, not included in the service plan?
“Not only is the number of patients it is planned to treat in the hospital left out but there is also no mention of the upgrade to the HSSD (sterilisation) facilities or the opening of the endoscopy suite at Roscommon County Hospital before the end of 2012.
“The fact that key targets set down by the Government for Roscommon County Hospital in the last six months have not been highlighted gives rise to further concern, in particular in light of the fact that the Minister sent the national plan back to have key changes included,” concluded Denis Naughten.