Kelleher calls for action over MRI service

Fianna Fáil TD for Cork North Central and party spokesperson on Health Billy Kelleher has called on the Health Minister to ensure that 24 hour MRI access is available at Cork University Hospital.  At the moment, there is no MRI out of hours service, despite CUH being one of the largest and busiest hospitals in the country.

Deputy Kelleher commented, “The current situation at Cork University Hospital is completely unacceptable.  This is a facility that caters for thousands of people across the city and county, yet the MRI centre is only open between 8am and 8pm Monday to Friday, with an on-call facility on Saturdays and Sunday mornings for “ urgent patient categories ”.  A hospital the size of CUH should be providing around the clock MRI cover for patients, as is standard practice in most European hospitals.

“The lack of out of hours MRI cover at CUH is deeply concerning and is another example of the mismanagement of resources by this Health Minister.  Patient safety is being compromised by cuts to essential services, including the lack of out of hours MRI cover at CUH.

“A fully functioning acute hospital like CUH needs a dedicated 24 hour MRI service and not a clinic which only operates within conventional business hours.  The hospital is already struggling to cope with severe overcrowding issues, which is being compounded by service restrictions and reductions.  The Minister’s lack of control in his handling of the health service is resulting in the direct downgrading of facilities at CUH.  A full time MRI is a basic requirement for a hospital of this size and I’m urging the Minister to intervene to secure the appropriate means to ensure that this need is fulfilled”.