One year since the closure of 24 hour A and E services at Ennis General Hospital, the man who lead reconfiguration plans in the Mid-West has expressed full satisfaction with the new arrangements
Consultant Surgeon Paul Burke says counties Clare, Limerick and Tipperary have set a headline for the rest of the country in putting the patient first and in ending outdated and inefficient practices.
The Consultant Surgeon lead the controversial hospital reconfiguration plan which was met with protests and rallies from the people of Clare, but 12 months on Mr Burke has stated that delivery of acute care is now being delivered around what is best for the patient not what satisfies the requirements of individual hospitals, their staff or vested interests.
In a statement to Clare FM, Mr Burke admitted this may cause inconvenience for the patient but said it’s definitely safer, adding that while reconfiguration initially encountered much opposition at local level including politicians and GPs, there is now an emerging consensus of medical opinion that changes to surgery and A&E were necessary and are working.
The HSE is reporting progress in all areas of medical care in the mid-west and while local political opinion is slower to change – Paul Burke said that’s something they have to accept"
+
