Hospital group denies there are plans to amalgamate portiuncula with roscommon

Claims by local TD Denis Naughten that there are plans to amalgamate Portiuncula and Roscommon Hospitals have been denied by the group in charge of hospital services in the region.

A spokesperson for the Saolta University Health Care Group said there were 'no plans' to amalgamate both facilities into one hospital.

The group also denied there were any plans to downgrade services in the Emergency Department at Portiuncula. Roscommon Hospital's Emergency Department closed in 2011.

'Both Roscommon Hospital and Portiuncula hospitals are part of the Saolta University Health Care Group,' said Saolta's spokesperson in a statement issued this afternoon.

'Over recent years we have enhanced the service integration between these two hospitals with joint clinical appointments.

'We have also enhanced the linkage of both hospitals to Galway University Hospital. These linkages have real practical benefits for our patients including improving access times, efficient transfer of clinical data, etc.'

Deputy Naughten said earlier that there was a plan to rename the two hospitals in addition to amalgamating them into one.

Soalta's statement today suggested the names could, indeed, be amended but that each hospital's local identity would remain the 'dominant' one.

'As part of the Saolta identity, the hospitals' names may be developed to emphasise the link to the Group’s academic partner, NUIG, but local identity will remain the dominant identity,' said the statement.