Urgent Care Centre hours under threat ? Naughten

In Health by Denis Naughten

Roscommon Hospital to treat less patients than in 2011

The Urgent Care Centre and Medical Assessment Unit at Roscommon County Hospital will see their services curtailed in 2012 according to the HSE service plan, local TD Denis Naughten has stated.

“In addition, 2012 will see 5,000 patients less being treated at the hospital than in 2011 and there will be no additional patients catered for at the outpatients department/County Clinic,” stated Denis Naughten. “This means that the new services at the hospital will be minimalist, at best.

“These are the conclusions that can be directly drawn from the HSE’s target figures for the number of patients to be treated at Roscommon this year. Is it any wonder the figures were hidden when they were published recently?”

Denis Naughten added: “While we were led to believe that a significant number of day case procedures were to be transferred from Galway, leading to a doubling or trebling of the number of patients to be treated in Roscommon, the figures show that just over half the number of patients treated last year is the additional throughput planned for the hospital.

“On average just over four patients per day will be cared for in the medical ward and surgical inpatient wards of the hospital. It is important to remember that these figures include the treatment of children under 16 at the hospital, the increased use of x-ray facilities when they are connected to Galway hospital, the new plastics clinic, increased day surgery and allegedly new outpatient clinics.

“It is now evidently clear that the allegations of ‘scaremongering’ directed both at me and the Hospital Action Committee are without foundation and the figures back up recent concerns raised by staff at the hospital that the Urgent Care Centre hours will be reduced and that there will be no surgery at night or at weekends at the hospital.

“The figures released are a clear indication that the hospital will not continue to operate at current levels. The Government must live up to its recent commitments on the hospital and start taking a direct role in the decisions that are being taken by the HSE. I would again urge those in Government to set up an immediate meeting between the Health Minister and all the local Oireachtas members to have these issues addressed before it is too late.”

Please see below question raised by Denis Naughten and responses received from the HSE.

* To ask the Minister for Health the projected activity level and budget in
the 2012 service plan of each acute hospital site in Galway Roscommon
hospitals; the comparative figures for 2011 including inpatient, day cases,
out patients, emergency, UCC and births; the budget for 2011 and the over
run at year end; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

– Denis Naughten.

Please see below question raised by Denis Naughten and responses received from the HSE.

Activity 2012 Galway Roscommon Group

 

Galway University Hospitals
2011Actual
Targets 2012

In-patient Discharges
35935
34857
Day Case Discharges
82017
82017
OPD Attendances
217766
217766
Emergency Presentations
61060
61060
ED Admissions
24003
24003
Number of Births
3429
3429

 

Portiuncula Hospital
2011 Actual
Targets 2012

In-patient Discharges
11,023
10,802
Day Case Discharges
8,054
8,215
OPD Attendances
44,855
45,600
Emergency Presentations
21,225
21,225
ED Admissions
6,373
6,250
Number of Births
2,148
2,148

 

Roscommon Hospital
2011 Actual
Targets 2012

In-patient Discharges
3565
1620
Day Case Discharges
3789
6000
OPD Attendances
12836
12836
Emergency Presentations
6722
0
Urgent Care Centre
2655
4000

Roscommon Targets to be confirmed – under ongoing discussion

 

General Managers Office HSE West –  Acute Hospital Budgets 2012

Hospital        2011 Expend           2012 Budget     2011 Overspend
GUH                251,624                      232,516                      -14,245
Portiuncula       41,095                        37,867                        -6,019
Roscommon    18,914                        16,403                        -2,279