HSE not releasing Portlaoise Hospital plans 'in the best interests of people in Kildare'

The HSE are keeping their plan for Portlaoise Hospital under wraps because it is in the best interest of the people living in Laois, Offaly, Dublin and Kildare.

TD Brian Stanley has requested access to the plans that have been drawn up by the HSE and the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group(DMHG) under the Freedom of Information Act, but that request was subsequently refused.

While FOI requests are allowed to be made to the HSE, such a request from Stanley would have a 'significant, adverse effect on the performance' of the FOI body in question, which in this case is the HSE.

The HSE also refused Stanley access to the plan as it is currently under consideration by the Department of Health, and releasing the information would not be in the best interests of patients who avail of acute services in the region covered by Dublin Midlands Hospital Group according to the Leinster Express.

Naas Hospital is one of those in that group, along with a number of Dublin hospitals and Tullamore and Portlaoise hospitals.

Deputy Stanley slammed the position of the HSE in the matter, saying that the report was completed a long time ago and that the HSE and the government would not pull the wool over peoples eyes.

“The delay is not acceptable given the need to urgently set out the way forward for Portlaoise.  I have tried over the past 18 months to get it released. The reasons given for the refusal of my FOI request are bogus," he said.

“If the HSE and Government think they can present a fait accompli behind closed doors that has at the centre of it the closure of 24 hour A&E, they are wrong. This plan to reduce services will never be acceptable.

“If they try to proceed with it there will be casualties, but they will be political ones," he said