Fears for services in Manor hospital
The HSE is planning on transferring acute inpatient Rheumatology services from Manorhamilton to Sligo in what has been seen as yet another body blow for the biggest of Co Leitrim's two remaining hospitals.
Following queries by the Leitrim Observer, HSE West issued a one page statement which acknowledges a "reconfiguration of beds" at Our Lady's Hospital, Manorhamilton is likely to take place in the coming months "in line with service demands".
With fears growing that cutbacks will target smaller hospitals like Manorhamilton, our reporter sought assurances on the future of the facility. However the statement issued stressed that HSE West "has and is continuing to review all elements of the Rheumatology service" in Manorhamilton.
While the HSE maintains there is "no question" of downgrading the current Rheumatology Service in Our Lady's Hospital", it admits there are plans underway which will see acute in-patient services delivered in Sligo General Hospital.
The statement goes on to state the HSE are seeking to "merely to improve the (existing Manorhamilton based) service within the region in line with best practice recommendations.
"Indeed, two Permanent Consultant Rheumatologists have recently been appointed who will have responsibility for the delivery of the service across the region.
"The second Consultant will take up post in early September," points out the HSE. However the HSE fails to add that neither of these posts will be based in Manorhamilton - the original consultant post was transferred to Sligo and Letterkenny General Hospitals in October 2007 and any further consultant posts will inevitably be based out of these two facilities.
"Both daycase and outpatient sessions will continue to be provided in Our Lady's Hospital as well as inpatient Rheumatology rehabilitation. It is likely, however, that there will be a reconfiguration of beds in Our Lady's hospital in line with service demands," the statement continues.
"Discussions are taking place within the service as to requirements and how this will be implemented, as well as the potential to utilise any capacity in the delivery of medical day service treatments from Sligo General Hospital."
Our Lady's lost its maternity unit a number of years ago, this was followed by the transfer of the Orthopaedic unit to Sligo and the cessation of A&E services.
Local representatives now argue that this most recent news is, regardless of how the HSE choose to phrase it, further downgrading of Our Lady's.
Cathaoirleach of Leitrim County Council, Cllr Frank Dolan, said he was very worried about the future of Our Lady's.
"With all the cutbacks that are being seen in bigger centres there seems to be little hope that Manorhamilton will escape unscathed," he admitted.
"In the last twenty five years Our Lady's had seen the loss of Maternity services and our A&E department, if the Rheumatology service is downgraded as well we'll be left with nothing."
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Weather for Carrick-on-Shannon, Ireland
Thursday 17 May 2012
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