Tags: A&E, Cork, cuts, HSE, Ireland, Mick Barry, politics

HSE Forum South member Cllr Mick Barry (Socialist Party) this morning criticised the HSE 2010 Service Plan target of cutting emergency department admissions by more than 33,000 this year and stated that this target would impact particularly negatively on hospital users in Cork city and county.

The HSE published the Service Plan yesterday claiming that new medical assessment units and community care facilities would massively lessen the numbers that need to be admitted to hospital this year.

Cllr Barry said, “Hospitals are going to be under pressure to achieve these targets and this means that hospitals are going to be under pressure to turn patients away.  The HSE plan to axe 24/7 A&Es this year at Bantry, Mallow, the Mercy and the South Infirmary.

“Half of the new medical assessment units in the state are planned for the Cork city and county area this year.  This means that there will be a particular attempt to reduce emergency department admissions in this area in 2010.”

Cllr Barry is the Cork Co-ordinator of the Campaign for a Real Public Health Service which is committed to campaigning against moves to end round the clock A&E services.

He concluded by criticising the comments made yesterday by Health Minister Mary Harney that these targets are “achievable without affecting client care in any way”.

“I have two issues with this statement. First of all I believe it is patently false. Second of all I object to the use of the word ‘client’.

“It is a word imported from the world of business and commerce. The fact that the Minister uses it at all is an indication that she sees the health service as a business rather than as a service for the Irish people,” he said.