LAST UPDATE | 30 Aug

DOCTORS HAVE SAID that people’s health is being put at risk because patients can no longer be referred to the cardiology department at Cavan and Monaghan Hospital.

GPs in both counties have been asked to stop referring cardiology patients to the hospital, but say they have not been given an alternative option.

In an email sent to GPs yesterday afternoon, the HSE stated: “This is to inform you that, effective immediately, Cavan and Monaghan Hospital will no longer accept new cardiology referrals.

“We understand the importance of continuity in patient care and we are committed to minimising any disruptions during this transition. Please rest assured that we are actively working to appoint a replacement consultant as soon as possible.”

The email, seen by The Journal, states that doctors will be notified “promptly” once a new cardiology consultant has been appointed, at which time the hospital will resume accepting referrals.

“In the meantime, we encourage you to consider alternative arrangements for your patients’ cardiology needs. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation during this period and are grateful for your continued support,” the email adds.

‘People are going to end up in hospital’

Dr Illona Duffy, a GP based in Monaghan, said doctors’ main concern is that patients could deteoritate and, in some cases, die.

Speaking to The Journal today, she said: “Obviously if patients aren’t being seen within an appropriate timeframe, [their] problem is going to deteriorate, and ultimately they’re going to end up in hospital.

“So, what are we doing? We’re trying to have them seen [by a specialist] so we can see, can we stop a heart attack happening?

Can we stop you dying? Can we stop you ending up in heart failure?

“We know that early intervention for all of these things is vital. Absolutely we can [stop someone dying], but we need to have specialist input.”

Duffy said patients who need to be referred to a cardiologist include people who’ve had heart attacks in the past, or who have conditions like angina or an irregular heart rhythm.

They need specialist monitoring, meaning they need to be under the care of the cardiologist.

Duffy said it is normal for doctors to move on to another job but that a plan should be in place so, when this happens, vital services can continue instead of stopping abruptly.

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Duffy said it will likely take months to fill the consultant vacancy. She said she and other GPs in the area have not been told where to refer patients to in the meantime.

“We don’t know where we’re meant to refer to because, again, we already know that most services tend to be quite territorial about accepting referrals outside what they see as their catchment areas. Are we to refer to Dublin? Are we to refer to Drogheda? We don’t know.”

When asked for comment by The Journal, the HSE said it was a matter for the RCSI Hospital Group.

A spokesperson for the RCSI group said that Cavan and Monaghan Hospital has “issued correspondence to the local GPs regarding the pathways for cardiology patients”.

The spokesperson said that emergency cardiology patients will continue to be managed within the Emergency Department or the Medical Assessment Unit “with referrals to tertiary sites as required”.

They added that patients can be referred to the General Medicine Outpatient Department “where general cardiology will be triaged and reviewed as appropriate”.