MALLOW GENERAL HOSPITAL ENTERS A NEW ERA FROM NEXT MONDAY

Mallow General Hospital will enter a new era next Monday, 25th March, when the A&E unit closes, to be replaced by an Urgent Care Centre, comprising a 12-hour local injury unit and a Medical Assessment Unit (MAU). From Monday, acute/emergency surgery will transfer to CUH.

The announcement that the A&E unit was to close caused an outcry, but advocates of the changes claim that the new €4.5 million MAU and endoscopy suite will see the hospital offer an expanded range of care. Dr. Michael Pead of Mallow General Hospital said recently that the new regime would deliver an even better service than before, with an eight-trolley unit instead of the current three, the ability to recruit new physicians, a state of the art new building, more space for elective surgery and an endoscopy unit which will carry out an extra 1,000 scopes a year. Minister of State Seán Sherlock said that, while the hospital will be closed at night, an arrangement is in place with local GPs who will be able to refer suitable patients for admission.