Dungloe Community Hospital
DONEGAL TD Pearse Doherty says that serious questions need to be answered over the future of Ante-natal and Gynaecology clinics at Dungloe Community Hospital which have not operated at the hospital since November 2014.
Deputy Doherty’s comments come following a decision by the HSE to refuse a Freedom of Information Request for documents relating to a review of Ante-Natal services which was to be initiated last year, on the grounds that it’s claimed such a report does not exist. Deputy Doherty is now demanding that the Health Minister intervene and to clarify if such a review was ever actually carried out.
Deputy Doherty said:
“Ante-Natal and Gynaecology clinics at Dungloe Hospital ceased in November 2014 and the reason given at the time was that the suspension was due to prolonged sick leave of service personnel.
“When the consultant overseeing the clinics did eventually return to work a few months later, the service didn’t resume and Hospital Management informed me that this was due to an overall review of Ante-Natal arrangements having been initiated by the Clinical Directorate.
“The HSE confirmed to me in September 2015 that following this review, the recommendations of the Directorate would then be presented to the Hospital Executive Board and to the Primary Care Management Teams for consideration – this was to have taken place before the end of September last.
“I was also told that a service delivery model was to be developed and that following this consultation process involving the Donegal Clinical Society, that the proposals would be given to the Saolta Women and Children’s Clinical Directorate and the Executive Board of Letterkenny Hospital whom would then be responsible for making a decision in respect of the future of ante-natal service provision.
“After several months without any sign of progress, I again raised delays with the Minister before the Christmas recess. I was subsequently told that the failure to reinstate the clinic was because of the resignation of a Consultant Obstetrician and the failure to successfully recruit a locum replacement.
“In January, and after more than a year having passed since clinics ceased operation, I asked the Minister when this post would be filled in order for the service to be re-instated.
“The following month I received an update from the HSE to say that a decision to re-establish the service has not be taken, with no real explanation given as to why this was the case, nor any clarity as to what the future of the service would be.
“I then decided to submit a Freedom of Information request to gain access to all the documents relating to the review of maternity services which I was originally told way back in September had been initiated when the Consultant returned to work.
“I never even got a response or even an acknowledgement neither to that request nor to a subsequent one issued earlier this year.
“It was only on my third attempt to access the information requested that I was given a reply, only to learn that my request was refused on the grounds that such documentation does not actually exist.
“I’ve been told today by the FOI Unit of the HSE that upon making enquiries to obtain the information relating to the review that FOI officers were informed that the reason it doesn’t exist is because a review hadn’t actually been carried out.
“Throughout this entire episode, my efforts to so far have the situation surrounding Ante-Natal services at Dungloe clarified and confirmed have been met with constant stalling on the part of the HSE and there has been inconsistency after inconsistency in respect of the information which I am being given.
“This is simply outrages, and serious answers are now needed from the Minister himself as to what exactly is going on here, and he needs to explain why no two answers which I’ve received to date appear to tell the same story.
“I have now tabled a series of Dáil Questions due for answer in the coming days, asking the Minister to give an explanation as to why it appears that a review into these vital services has never even been carried out, despite earlier statements which claimed otherwise.
“Ante-natal and gynaecology services are vitally important to the hundreds of women in West Donegal who have availed of these clinics throughout the years, and the fact that service users have been let down, and blatantly lied to like this at every juncture is simply appalling and the Minister must now give them the answers which they deserve.”
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