Nearly 400 women in this region have had smear tests cancelled since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
That’s an addition to 656 elective procedures being cancelled at University Maternity Hospital Limerick due to concerns over the virus.
The figures were released to Sinn Féin by the HSE, in response to a parliamentary question.
The UL Hospitals Group say they are well aware of the ”considerable impact” of the COVID-19 pandemic, with all steps being taken to ensure the appointments are rescheduled at the earliest possible opportunity in line with public health guidelines.
Shannon Cllr Donna McGettigan believes Ennis Hospital needs to upgraded to deal with the backlog.
UL Hospitals Group Response:
UL Hospitals Group is well aware of the considerable impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on healthcare provision in the Mid-West. UL Hospitals Group, in common with hospitals across Ireland, suspended almost all elective activity in March 2020 in response to the global public health emergency.
Suspending scheduled services is one of the most difficult decisions for any hospital to take, due to the impact on patients, especially those people who have already been waiting for a long time for an outpatient appointment or procedure. The decision, in line with national guidance, was unavoidable in the context of the national effort to combat COVID-19.
In respect of the figures quoted in the statement, it should be pointed out that the 656 elective procedures cancelled between March 10th and July 17th (along with 395 nurse smear (cytology) procedures) relate solely to the colposcopy clinic in University Maternity Hospital.
We regret that our pandemic strategy resulted in the cancellation of these appointments. All steps are being taken at UMHL to ensure these colposcopy appointments are rescheduled at the earliest possible opportunity, in line with the national public health guidelines.
Cancellations of appointments in the colposcopy clinic, and their rescheduling, are not unique to the time period referenced by the councillors. During 2019, a total of 7,981 appointments were scheduled, of which, 5,128 went ahead as originally scheduled. Any appointments that were cancelled, either by the clinic or by the patient, were subsequently rescheduled.
Across our hospitals, the ongoing reintroduction of scheduled services in line with national public health guidance has been a challenge of comparable significance—and perhaps of even greater magnitude—to their curtailment. As activity and movement on our sites increases, we have to balance the clinical needs of patients against the risk to all patients and staff in our hospitals presented by the ever-present, highly contagious threat of COVID-19.
Taking into account the new realities around social and physical distancing and best practice in Infection Prevention & Control (IP&C), the resumption process has been necessarily gradual and slow.
We continue to carefully scale up our services, but in our hospitals and in all hospitals in the land, there will be fewer patients in waiting rooms and clinical areas at any one time, and fewer patients on theatres lists on any one day. As we gradually reintroduce our scheduled services, we will prioritise the sickest patients for treatment, in line with national guidelines, and with the agreement of the clinical leads across the various specialties.
During the pandemic, there has been considerable growth of and investment in virtual outpatient consultations. A virtual clinic is one in which the patient and clinician interact via telephone or video link. Between March and July 2020, almost half the 32,632 outpatient attendances across UL Hospitals Group were seen virtually. The total OPD attendances for this period amounted to 66 per cent of the attendances during the corresponding period in 2019. As our gradual reintroduction of OPD activity continues, we will continue to use virtual clinics were possible.
Regarding the call for an upgrade of Ennis Hospital, this is not a matter for UL Hospitals Group, or the HSE. The status of Ennis Hospital is enshrined in the government policy document, ‘Securing the Future of Smaller Hospitals: a Framework for Development’, which was published in February 2013.
It is important to note, also, that our CEO’s confirmation of funding from the HSE nationally in respect of Ennis Hospital specifically relates to the hospital’s theatres. Ennis Hospital is an important centre for day surgery within UL Hospitals Group. Nevertheless, the hospital’s theatre complex is outdated, and we are hopeful for approval of a submission to the HSE nationally for funding to develop the theatres, permitting us to further develop and enhance services at the hospital.
Aside from this, services at Ennis Hospital continue to expand, with increased access to the Medical Assessment Unit, the planned opening in the coming months of a new outpatients department with additional specialities, and the rebuilding of the Injury Unit, which is due to commence in September.
