Appeal for rapid action on Mayo's district hospitals in view of new information

"We are now told that it will take three years for the first patients to be seen when the proposed new emergency department at Mayo University Hospital is completed.

"This is far too long and I am calling now on government TDs in this county to push for rapid action on equipping our district hospitals to provide an alternative pathway to the emergency department."

That's according to Mayo election candidate, Harry Barrett.

Barrett was speaking in the wake of new information from Mayo hospital management confirming that there will be a three-year lead-in to the completion of the new extension to the emergency department in the hospital.

He continued: "Sick, elderly patients in this county cannot wait a further three years with the record breaking trolley numbers that we see every other day now in Mayo University Hospital.

"The crisis is having a shocking effect on the health of older people and I cannot accept this.

"I completely agree with hospital manager, Catherine Donohue, who says that alternatives to the emergency department have now to be a priority while we wait for the new unit to be completed.

"She spoke this week of finding alternative pathways for elderly patients to be found in that community rather than sending them to the emergency department.

"I completely agree with this and now call on this government and it's local TDs to campaign vigorously for that staff, beds and equipment needed to resource and revamp our district hospitals.

"Having elderly patients treated in their own communities and in their own district hospitals with sufficient staff and modern equipment has to be a major solution to this trolley crisis.

"This will also include recruiting a further 40 new GP's to meet capacity and to work within this alternative pathways system.

"Last week we had an Taoiseach witnessing sick, elderly people in this community lying on trolleys for hours in our local emergency department.

"The least his government could do now, to rectify this appalling situation, would be to spend significant money on the district hospitals that were built nearly 100 years ago to treat people in their own communities.

"Letting these hospitals degrade over the years has turned out to be a colossal mistake," he added.