EXPANDED MONAGHAN MINOR INJURY UNIT HOURS ONLY A TEMPORARY MEASURE SAYS CO COUNCIL CATHAOIRLEACH

The recently heralded extension of hours at Monaghan Hospital’s Minor Injury Unit was a temporary measure that would remain in place only until the end of the HSE’s Winter Plan for 2022/23, Cathaoirleach Seán Conlon told Tuesday’s meeting of Monaghan Co Council. The Sinn Féin local public representative moved a motion welcoming the extension of the MIU hours to 8 am-8 pm during Monday to Friday, improving on the previous 9-5 or 40-hour per week service.

But the proposal also conveyed “profound disappointment at the failure of the HSE and Department of Health in recognising that these extra opening hours fall far short of the opening times of all other Minor Injury Units in this State that operate every day of the week”. Councillor Conlon’s motion also questioned “the temporary and conditional nature of these new extended hours that are only to remain in place as part of the Winter Plan 2022/23.

“We therefore call on the HSE, the Department of Health and Minister Stephen Donnelly to implement immediately an 8 am to 8 pm, seven days per week service at the Minor Injury Unit at Monaghan Hospital in an effort to address the continuously declining provision of Emergency Department services at Cavan Hospital due to capacity and overcrowding issues that create hardship for both patients and staff.”

The Cathaoirleach told the meeting that there had been some suggestion recently that all was good in relation to the Monaghan Minor Injury Unit and that they should be very happy and it was just brilliant that the hours were being…