Brendan Smith Urges Cross-Border Expansion of Acute Health Services
Brendan Smith spoke about the provision of health services across the island, urging greater delivery of cross-border acute hospital services and improved A&E access for border communities. He set out specific cooperation proposals and pointed to existing projects such as paediatric cardiac care in Crumlin and cancer services in Alta Galvin.
Shared Island Dialogue and existing cooperation
Brendan Smith said he had listened to the Shared Island Dialogue and welcomed its outline of opportunities to provide more health services on a cross-border and all‑Ireland basis. He noted an impatience with the slow pace of progress and recognised the importance of paediatric cardiac care established in Crumlin and cancer care progress in Alta Galvin. He also referenced existing cooperation in the central border area under the 1992 scheme, funded by the European Union and the Irish and British governments.
Proposed hospital link-ups across the border
Smith proposed practical cross‑border hospital cooperation to increase acute capacity in the border region. He suggested the Southwest Hospital in Ennis Gillen cooperate with Sligo General and with Cavanagh and Monaghan General Hospitals, and proposed Daisy Hill Hospital in Eurie cooperate with Dundalk Hospitals. He argued these link-ups could complement existing services and deliver greater efficiencies.
Access to emergency care and community benefits
He emphasised the need for better access to A&E care on a cross‑border basis and said the Shared Island initiative could considerably enhance health capacity throughout the border region. Smith said such measures would benefit communities on both sides by improving delivery of services and making access easier for patients.
Government response and on‑the‑ground examples
In response a government speaker said they had visited Ennis Gillen and praised North‑South work, including significant capital funding for a comprehensive cancer care centre. They cited a case of a person from Donegal who suffered a heart attack, received stents quickly and was discharged the following day, and noted that the North West site had taken Galway as a major tertiary hospital. The respondent agreed that a regional, cross‑border practical approach to hospital configuration should be considered.
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I had the opportunity to listen to some of the discussions in the Shared Island Dialogue on the provision of health services on this island. There was a great outline in those discussions of the opportunities to provide more health services on a cross-border and all-Ireland basis. Indeed, in those discussions there was an impatience with the slow pace of progress in this area. I recognise the importance of the establishment in Crumlin of the paediatric cardiac care and also the great progress in Alta Galvin with cancer care for the northwest of our country. And we have some cooperation in the central border area through the scheme from 1992 of cooperation and working together. That has been funded by the European Union and the Irish and British governments. But what we need is a greater delivery of services, acute hospital services on a cross-border basis. I'm thinking of right across the border area you should have the Southwest Hospital in Ennis Gillen cooperating with Sligo General, with Cavanagh and Monaghan General Hospitals. Then in the northeast, Daisy Hill Hospital in Eurie cooperating with Dundalk Hospitals. I think there's great potential there to bring additional health capacity to the border region. And it would help to bring about complementing existing services and also bring about greater efficiencies. We also need in that context better access to A&E care on a cross-border basis as well. So, Taoiseach, I think the Shared Island initiative can enhance considerably additional health capacity right throughout the border region that will benefit communities on both sides of the border in a better delivery of services and easier access for communities. Thank you. On the health services that Deputy Smith has raised, I visited Ennis Gillen recently and the work that has gone on the way with North and South has been very effective, particularly the huge funding that went into the capital provision for the comprehensive cancer care centre. And I think what we need to do in relation to Deputy Smith's point is the North West site, whenever it was in that, when I met an individual who was when travelled from Donegal, he had suffered a heart attack, had the stents provided very quickly in that, and was out the following day. And in our configuration, we're saying people in the North West site, they took Galway as a major tertiary hospital. And I think in the fullness of time around the border, Deputy Smith said in the various hospitals, we really should look at it regionally in terms of a cross-border practical way. isbuying. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. They'll be going down to the altitude here, please.
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