Martin questions ‘ill-timed’ closure of South Infirmary A&E

Fianna Fáil Leader Micheál Martin TD has expressed concerns about the announcement today that the Emergency Department at the South Infirmary Hospital in Cork is to shut down in six months.

Deputy Martin said: “There is no doubt that the closure of the Emergency Department at South Infirmary will put further pressure on emergency services at CUH and the Mercy Hospital.  I am deeply disappointed that the HSE is pushing ahead with the closure at a time when there are already dozens of patients waiting on trolleys daily at CUH and the Mercy.

“This comes on the heels of the Health Minister’s broken promise in relation to St Mary’s Orthopaedic Hospital. Despite James Reilly’s solemn pledge to retain all services at St Mary’s, he is now transferring orthopaedic services to South Infirmary Victoria Hospital.  His highly cynical approach is hurting patients, staff and members of the public. The Minister should apologise for making promises he never intended to keep.

“Minister Reilly cannot sanction this closure without having a contingency plan in place to avoid an overcrowding crisis at hospitals in the city.  I am calling on Minister Reilly to do a full analysis of the emergency services in Cork hospitals and what the impact will be of the closure at the South Infirmary. If we are to protect patient safety and prevent dangerous levels of overcrowding, extra resources will be needed at CUH and the Mercy Hospital.”