Cork deserves functioning health services, not premature Government launches
Cork deserves functioning health services, not premature Government launches - The Labour Party
Labour Senator Laura Harmon has today demanded that Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill explain why Cork University Hospital’s new surgical hub closed immediately after its official opening on 28 September following failed environmental testing. She called out the Minister after the Irish Examiner reported that fewer than 10 patients have attended the hub since it reopened on 12 October, with sources citing staffing and recruitment issues.
Senator Laura Harmon said:
“The Taoiseach and Minister for Health opened the CUH hub with much fanfare on 28th of September. Patients waiting for treatment had every reason to expect a service ready to deliver. Instead, the hub closed immediately after failing environmental air-quality testing.
“Now the Irish Examiner reports that fewer than 10 patients have attended the hub since it reopened on 12 October, with sources pointing to staffing and recruitment problems. That raises serious questions about the gap between what Government announced and what patients can actually access. People deserve a full explanation.
“At the time of the opening, I challenged Government over launching this facility without full staffing in place. Those concerns remain. We have already seen staffing gaps follow the launch of Cork’s endometriosis centre. That service provides care, but recruitment difficulties have raised serious questions about access to the full service women need.
“It is disingenuous to seek political credit for opening facilities without giving the public an honest account of their readiness. The Minister must now explain the closure and deliver a funded timetable to fill outstanding posts. Cork needs safe, fully functioning services that reduce waiting times. Government must account for what happened and deliver the care it promised.”