GALWAY HOSPITAL WARD CLOSURES OFF THE TABLE

Date Published: 15-Oct-2007

The proposed hospital ward closures at Merlin Park and University Hospital Galway are OFF the table. The HSE West is applying for an exemption from the national recruitment freeze to maintain staff levels at the two hospitals in a bid to keep the two wards open. Senior HSE officials in Galway hope to get approval on the exemption this week. Official Dr Alan Moran gave the news to angry councillors at a specially convened meeting of the HSE West Hospital committee this afternoon. Hospital 2 at Merlin Park is an orthopaedic ward for elderly patients and St Rita's ward at UHG treats stroke victims. Dr Moran revealed that 40 nurses and 20 healthcare staff left Galway in September which was an "unusually high" number of staff leaving at the same time. He said the ward closures were first mooted as a means of diverting staff to the gaps in frontline services as a result of the staff departures. Speaking after the meeting Health Forum member Cllr Paraic Conneely said the news would be strongly welcomed in Galway