Fianna Fáil TD Eugene Murphy said that Minister for Health Simon Harris had reacted favourably to his proposal to introduce a Stabilisation Unit at Roscommon Hospital.
Eugene Murphy was speaking following a meeting with the Hospital Action Committee, the Minister for Health and local Oireachtas members yesterday.
Deputy Murphy complimented members of the HAC and in particular Cllr Valerie Byrne who led the deputation to Minister Harris in Leinster House. Deputy Murphy said that it was a positive meeting and that Minister Harris had “totally committed to funding for the rehabilitation unit at the county hospital while he also indicated that the €10million funding for the Sacred Heart Hospital would progress as quickly as possible.”
“I fully support the Hospital Action Committee’s call for extending the opening hours at the Medical Assessment Unit and their call for an independent review of the A&E services. There were serious question marks and queries over the previous review of the A& E services and serious doubts cast over mortality rate figures so I would like to see an independent review of the A&E services. Fianna Fail kept their commitment in relation to keeping the A& E open under their watch and Fianna Fail built the new A&E and staffed it – I would like to see that review taking place
“I proposed the establishment of a Stabilisation Unit which is a successful model in the UK in similar sized areas and basically it means you would not pass the doors of Roscommon hospital- a patient could be stabilised for 24 or 48 hours and then moved onto another hospital,” said Eugene Murphy.