Taoiseach says “all is not well” at Cork University Hospital

Taoiseach Micheál Martin told the Dáil that “all is not well” at Cork University Hospital (CUH) but said he will not override the health minister to intervene directly.

The comments came after Social Democrats TD Liam Quaide gave an “extremely disturbing account” of the cancellation of surgeries at CUH on Thursday and Friday, describing how emergency capacity became “overwhelmed” and cancer operations were called off at short notice.

Quaide said women admitted for mastectomies, some already in hospital gowns, were sent home, and that colon, brain and prostate cancer surgeries were also cancelled, causing distress for patients.

He blamed the situation on the health minister’s “hard‑line attitude” and refusal to acknowledge staffing shortages and overcrowding. Nine clinical directors of CUH had earlier written to Mr Martin raising the same staffing concerns.

Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill dismissed the concerns, stating the hospital had hired twice as many staff as budgeted and that the increase in the permanent workforce would need to be “tempered” because the South‑West region was “substantially over budget”.

Mr Martin acknowledged the problems and stressed that any resolution must follow the proper HSE structures, adding that he will not bypass the minister or meet clinicians to “go over the head” of the department.

He said patient safety must remain paramount and that the cancellations of cancer surgeries “should not have happened”, urging better management of the hospital.

Source: Irish Examiner. Photo: Jakob Andersson / Pexels.