HSE spells out developments at Mullingar Hospital

The HSE has said this week that there are "proposals being considered" to bring back into use the sixteen beds closed at Mullingar Hospital earlier this Summer.It has also denied in a statement this week that there are plans to reduce acute services at the hospital.Among staff at the hospital in Mullingar there are fears that the hospital is going to lose its acute services, as part of the national reorganisation of acute hospital services.The staff's worry is that as has happened in the north east, where acute medical and critical care, and A&E, are moving from Dundalk and Navan Hospitals to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda, Mullingar's A&E may lose out to Tullamore.However, the HSE's Area Communications Manager, Dymphna Bracken, told the Westmeath Examiner this week that there are "no plans to reduce services at the hospital"."Staff and management at the hospital work tirelessly to ensure the hospital is one of the highest performing hospitals in the country, as is proved in Health Stat and Casemix," she said.She continued however by stating that "budgetary constraints are common issues for all hospitals".On the subject of the sixteen beds closed earlier this Summer, Ms. Bracken said: "There are proposals being considered to bring these beds back into use."Meanwhile, Ms. Bracken agreed to outline where development works at the hospital currently stand, and what exactly has come to a standstill.On hold is the entire Stage 2 of Phase 2B, which was to have included a new acute psychiatric department, a separate coronary care unit, a separate intensive care unit, and a new medicine for elderly/rehabilitation unit.Also on hold are the replacement child and adolescent psychiatric unit planned as part of Stage 2, along with the replacement of theatres, which was to give the hospital an additional theatre; the replacement pathology department, the replacement occupational therapy department, and replacement on-call accommodation.Also to have been provided as part of Stage 2 were new central staff changing facilities, expanded catering facilities, and an extended maintenance workshop and central equipment store.Earlier this year, however, work on Stage 1 of Phase 2B was formally completed, she pointed out.That involved fitting out the existing ward shells in line with SARI guidelines to provide a new paediatric ward on Level O, a new surgical ward on Level 1, a new obstetric ward on Level 2, and a new medical ward, incorporating an acute stroke unit on Level 3.Ms. Bracken that the new paediatric unit, and the new surgical and obstetric wards, replace the existing units, "with a better layout and more single rooms, in line with SARI guidelines".She said that staffing of these new areas would be by staff transferring from the existing units.Asked how the fitting out of a new surgical ward tied in with the closure of sixteen beds earlier this summer, Ms. Bracken responded that it is "normal practice" to reduce non-emergency hospital services during peak hospital periods.She added that the new interim Special Baby Care unit is already staffed and operational, and "working very well".Ms. Bracken said that since 2000, a number of new developments have been introduced at the hospital in Mullingar. These include the Early Pregnancy Unit; the Respiratory Service, including the establishment of a pulmonary function test lab and a sleep study centre; a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease outreach; a cardiac rehab and diagnostic service; an osteoporosis service supported by a bone densitometer (DEXA) Scanning Service; a specialist inflammatory bowel disease service; the Medical Assessment Unit; the Special Care Baby Unit; the Specialist Stroke Service; a new multi-slice CT; the new Midland Sexual Assault Treatment Unit.In addition, Clinical Nurse Specialists have been appointed to provide specialist clinics in the area of Diabetes, Cardiology, Respiratory, Coagulation, Osteoporosis, Lactation, Bereavement Counselling and Ophthalmology.The appointment of Consultant Physicians with interests in Endocrinology, Cardiology and Gerontology (second post) has taken place and all are in post; the establishment of a Urodynamics Unit is currently in progress at the Hospital; and, in conjunction with the Consultant Nephrologist based at the Midland Regional Hospital at Tullamore, the hospital in Mullingar is developing an Acute Renal Replacement Therapy service.Ms. Bracken added that MRHM is an affiliated teaching hospital of RCSI, and that the RCSI has agreed to upgrade MRHM's status to that of a full teaching hospital and has agreed to co-fund, in partnership with the HSE, a new Education Centre for all health care staff."Plans are currently being drawn up with the architects to advance same," she said, adding that at any one time, up to 24 medical students can be on the MRHM campus.Currently one Senior Lecturer post has been created by RCSI with others to follow.MRHM is an established centre for Specialist Registrar higher training in Medicine, Paediatrics, Obstetrics/Gynaecology with plans afoot for same in Anaesthesia and Surgery. At SHO level, many posts are part of recognised training schemes with the Dublin Teaching Hospitals, Galway and the Midlands GP Training Scheme, Ms. Bracken continued, going on to state that all clinical departments have extensive teaching programmes in place for medical trainees and medical students, and that these have been recognised by the national training bodies for their excellence. All medical trainee posts are fully recognised for training by their respective Royal Colleges.During 2007 the Hospital replaced its existing Radiology Information System with PACS/RIS Digital Imaging. This has been rolled out around the Hospital for inquiry purposes.The Hospital is affiliated to the Athlone Institute of Technology for the BSc in Nursing.In 2009 the Hospital is to provide clinical placements to direct entry midwifery students from the Coombe Hospital, Dublin.Under the new Consultant Contract a Clinical Director has been appointed for the Hospital and currently underway is development of a Drugs and Therapeutic Committee to oversee the drug prescribing in the Hospital.