Nenagh Hospital's day surgery cancellations are 'causing stress and inconvenience'

While University Hospital Limerick continues to rank as one of the busiest hospitals in the country, the huge volume of patients requiring medical care at the hospital is having a growing knock-on effect on patient treatment at Nenagh Hospital, according to Tipperary TD Michael Lowry.

"This is a direct result of the continued transfer of medical patients from Limerick Hospital to Nenagh, and the need to accommodate these patients in beds in the surgical day ward. When these beds are in use by the transferred patients, it results in the cancellation of planned day surgery in Nenagh Hospital, causing chaos with planned procedures and waiting lists," he said.

Deputy Michael Lowry said that this was not acceptable and he had contacted senior management at the HSE requesting and immediate review of this short-sighted policy.

"Nenagh Hospital provides a wide range of day surgeries, including cataract treatment, orthopaedic surgery, gynaecological procedures, urology and vascular procedures and many other planned elective surgeries. Patients are advised well in advance of their procedures and have made the necessary arrangements for their time in hospital and their after-care," said the Independent TD.

However, he said that there were reports of patients receiving a call a short time before their admission to the day ward to tell them that their planned and necessary procedure had been cancelled.

"This is causing anguish and upset to patients and their families," he said.

So far in this year alone, between January 8 and 14 both theatres at Nenagh Hospital were closed and there were no patients admitted to the day ward. Up to and including Monday, January 26, the full list of surgical procedures went ahead only on January 15 and 16, he revealed.

"The cancellation and deferment of day surgeries for patients is totally unacceptable. Many patients, including elderly men and women, worry that delayed medical intervention will compromise their health.

"Such neglect of patients is short-term thinking that, along with causing major inconvenience and stress to patients, also causes disruption and frustration to specialist surgical staff who find themselves redeployed to other areas of the hospital," said Deputy Lowry.

"Ultimately, the continued cancellation of planned procedures will have a negative knock-on effect on the day care unit in Nenagh," he said.