Closure of Mullingar Diabetic Day Centre is a serious patient safety failure

“The Government and the HSE have questions to answer about when this shortfall was identified, why it wasn’t addressed, and if patients were given proper notice or alternative arrangements,” said Sorca Clarke, Sinn Féin TD for Longford Westmeath in a statement to the Minister for Health and the HSE regarding the closure of the Diabetic Day Centre at Midland Regional Hospital Mullingar.

Teachta Clarke has called on the Minister and the health body to explain why the centre was allowed to close due to staffing shortages and to give a firm date for its reopening.

The centre provided specialist care to patients with type one diabetes including insulin dependent patients who need ongoing input from specialist nurses, dieticians and endocronologists.Constituents have contacted Deputy Clarke with serious concerns. Right now these patients have no access to the service.

“This is a patient safety issue, plain and simple,” she said, “People with type 1 diabetes rely on specialist teams to keep them well and out of hospital. Those teams are now gone and patients and their GPs have been left to cope.

“Closure’s like this don’t happen overnight.

“The Midlands has been failed for too long on health services. We keep losing local services because of chronic understaffing, while the Government fails to recruit and retain the specialist staff we need. Patients in Westmeath and surrounding counties deserve to receive safe care close to home.

“I have written to the Minister for Health and the HSE seeking an explanation of the staffing shortfall and how the closure was allowed to happen, details of interim arrangements for existing patients, particularly those who are insulin-dependent, a recruitment plan, including short-term measures to restore cover and a clear timeline for reopening a fully and safely staffed service.

“I have asked for an urgent response. Patients and their families need answers, and they need this service back."