Parents ‘in dark’ about paediatrics merger between Mercy hospital and CUH

PARENTS have been left in the dark about the transfer of paediatric patients from the Mercy to Cork University Hospital (CUH), a city councillor has said.

Independent North East councillor Ken O’Flynn has called for increased transparency around the transfer, which is to take place in April.

A mother whose son has leukaemia and who has been a patient of Mercy University Hospital reached out to Mr O’Flynn, saying: “I can’t get answers to my questions.” Though staff are amazing at the Mercy, they, too, are in the dark, the mother said, saying: 

“The staff in the Mercy are incredible. I feel sorry for them: They’re fighting for the children.”

She said that whenever her son gets sick, he can go straight to the doctor in the Mercy, but in CUH he will have to go through the emergency room, which worries her because to how susceptible he is.

She has also questioned if he will be able to get his monthly chemotherapy in CUH, as he has done in the Mercy, or if he will have to travel to Crumlin. “The worry for us parents could be avoided if management were transparent with the plans and how everything will be put in place,” she said.

A spokesperson for the hospital group declined to comment on whether sick children will have to go in through the emergency room, or if chemotherapy services will be moved.

Mr O’Flynn said: 

“That’s one example, but there’s probably an awful lot of concerned parents out there, and their questions are not being answered. There’s nobody from the HSE engaging with parents, nobody asking them for their point of view; the dialogue and openness with concerned parents has been totally overlooked.

He added: “The Mercy has built a reputation and a repertoire between staff and children — they have a very special connection — so I don’t know why the HSE have decided everything has to be on the one campus, considering if something goes wrong at the Mercy you’re not a million miles away from CUH anyway.”

He said of the decision to transfer paediatric services: “This was a decision made somewhere in Dublin; it hasn’t taken into account the people involved. What’s more frustrating is the lack of response to questions. It’s disappointing, the way this has been handled, as the not-knowing is one of the biggest problems. We can’t treat people like this.”

A South/South West Hospital Group spokesperson told The Echo that it is working with the Mercy and CUH to plan the transfer and consolidation of paediatric services, saying: “The new paediatric department development located at CUH, combining both MUH and CUH paediatric departments, will cater for a centralised paediatric service within one location in Cork and, in preparation for this transition, an extended paediatric clinical governance structure is now led by a clinical director for the combined city services.

“This new development will deliver high-quality care for children and will provide much-needed paediatric care, consistent with... the model of care.”