'Permanent freeze' put on Phase 2B at Hospital

A furious Labour TD, Willie Penrose has lashed the HSE this week after it emerged that a further halt has been put on the progress of Phase 2b at the Midland Regional Hospital in Mullingar. Dogged by delays since the planned new development was first mooted in the 1980s, it emerged that lack of capital funding has once again curtailed plans to advance the project.Cllr. Mick Dollard told the Westmeath Examiner this week that local politicians at a special meeting with the HSE on Tuesday were told by HSE chiefs that further works on the wing, which was to provide 24 extra beds, a new paediatric ward, a day surgery/gynaecology ward, an obstetric ward and a medical ward, incorporating an acute stroke unit, have been put on "permanent hold".The news represents a further hammer blow to MRH Mullingar which has already lost 16 beds and is subject to a funding cut of €1.8 million for the year 2009.At a meeting called by the hospital forum made up from politicians from Longford and Westmeath, HSE Clinical Director Dr Ron Charles confirmed that there was no present funding for Phase 2b and also told the forum that the hospital had gone €1 million over budget.Funding prospects for next year are bleak as the government is rumoured to be considering spending cuts of up to €800 million for the health service as a whole.Cuts in the numbers of beds available at the hospital coupled with a continuation in the pace of services provided at the hospital will undoubtedly mean extra pressure on staff and lead to a higher turnover rate as staff struggle to treat patients with less resources.Dr Charles confirmed that there would be no reduction in services and that Accident and Emergency would still operate on a 24-hour basis.Deputy Penrose who has been at the forefront of the fight to get Phase 2b up and running said that the debacle rank as the "longest running farce in Irish hospital history"."Where else have people had to wait this long to get these essential services," he said."Remember that this was first discussed in the mid-1980s when Longford General hospital closed.This is really mind boggling and staff at all levels will be stretched beyond capacity.This is even more infuriating as Mullingar is ranked as one of the top three hospitals in the country according to its size and capacity."There was however, a positive aspect to the meeting as Dr Charles told the forum that Mullingar maternity unit is to be expanded to be the largest outside Dublin. Mullingar hospital will deal with 3,000 births this year alone - a 14 per cent increase on 2008.