Portiuncula Hospital Ballinasloe
Following the resignation of Mr. Noel Daly as Chairman of the West Northwest Hospitals Group, the controversial report on maternity services at Portiuncula Hospital which resulted in his decision to go, must now be scrapped” claims Denis Naughten TD
“This report was flawed right from its inception, and cannot in any guise form part of any further consideration of the future of maternity services at Portiuncula Hospital, Ballinasloe” said the local TD.
This report is has serious questions hanging over it and I have previously stated that “I cannot understand how the consultants could produce a report that comes out so negatively considering that it is the safest hospital, one of the most efficient and the second biggest in the hospital group.”
“The political spin being put on the report into the review of maternity services at Portiuncula is that while the hospital management and the Health Minister are correct when they state that no decision has been made on which option is to be implemented, the fact is that all options – except a ‘do nothing option’ which has been dismissed by the consultants – involve the closure of the obstetrical-led maternity unit at Portiuncula Hospital, Ballinasloe,” said Denis Naughten.
Minister Reilly has told Seanad Éireann that “while the review on maternity services undertaken by the West-Northwest Hospital Group may stimulate debate and may help inform the strategy, any decision on maternity service reconfiguration will be taken on a national rather than on a local basis”.
“However it is clear from these comments that the report by the West-Northwest Hospital Group report will form part of the overall consideration, and such a flawed report will not place Portiuncula in positive light,” stated Denis Naughten.
“And while it is correct to say that no decision has been made to close any unit, it is very hard to see how the service at Portiuncula can survive when this report has stacked all the cards against it. By the time it comes to a decision this report will have already caused damage to the reputation of Portiuncula Hospital, which will be hard to reverse.
“Some expectant mothers are now concerned that if they attend maternity services at Portiuncula that they will find the doors closed when their baby is due to be delivered. However while the decision may be imminent it is important to realise that implementation of a decision that is still a number of years away. People must come together now to ensure this process is stopped in its tracks before there is any further reputational damage caused to Portiuncula Hospital,” concluded Denis Naughten.
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