Mater A&E to close this weekend

A PLANNED 18 hour closure of the Mater Hospital A&E department this weekend is expected to put severe pressure on the rest of city’s already crowded emergency facilities.

The Mater’s A&E services will be suspended temporarily on Sunday, February 17, to facilitate the transfer to and opening of the hospital’s new facility the following day.

The relocation was due to take place on Friday, January 25, was but was deferred for three weeks because of the impact it would have had on other hospitals.

The department will close to walk-in or self-arrival patients from 4am until 10pm on Sunday and the relocation process also requires it to close to ambulances from 10am to 10pm that day.

Local councillor Mary Fitzpatrick (FF) criticised the delay in opening the new A&E saying it was

“a waste of valuable and much-needed resources

?.

“It is unacceptable that the new emergency department at the Mater is lying idle and is not being used to provide the people of Dublin with essential and urgent medical care,

? she stated.

“The existing emergency department is well past its sell-by date. It’s too small and over crowded.

?

A spokesperson for the Mater said the delay in opening was due to management not wanting to impose additional pressures on other hospitals.

“In full consultation with the HSE’s Special Delivery Unit, a decision to postpone was reached,

? he added.

The Mater’s A&E department provides a 24-hour emergency service, 365 days a year, and sees in the region of 50,000 patients annually. The core function of the department is to provide resuscitation for critically ill and injured patients.

Accommodation in the new emergency department includes 15 new single patient examination and treatment cubicles; a dedicated CT and X-ray suite; and a resuscitation room big enough to cater for a 60 per cent increase in capacity compared to the current facility.

During the temporary closure, patients with minor injuries can attend the Mater Smithfield Rapid Injury Clinic in The Forge, Smithfield Market, which will open at 8am and extend its closing time to 8pm to facilitate the relocation.