The Irish Hospice Foundation has called for the restoration of the "full range" of hospice and palliative care services in the west.
The foundation says the recent withdrawal of consultant-led services from Galway Hospice and the "consequential impact" is "at complete variance with the needs of the community and stated Government policy".
An investigation into the situation at Galway Hospice, including a new bullying claim lodged by 22 of the hospice's 26 nurses, is being carried out by Pat Donnelly, chief officer of the Health Service Executive (HSE), South-West area, for Kevin Kelly, interim chief executive officer of the HSE.
Clinical director Dr Dympna Waldron has voluntarily withdrawn her services from the hospice in the interim and the 12-bed unit is being kept open as a GP- led service. Seven patients are currently being treated there.
A recently published report by Dr Seán Conroy, assistant chief officer with the Health Service Executive West, into previous bullying allegations dating back to 2002 and 2003, upheld the case made by three complainants and ruled that Dr Waldron "misconducted herself in relation to her appointment, contrary to her terms of contract".
Irish Hospice Foundation chief executive Eugene Murray said the "repeated disruption of 'end of life' healthcare services in the Galway area over the last few years" was "unacceptable".
"If the postal, electricity or transport services were disrupted in this manner, there would be intervention at the highest levels nationally and the underlying problems would be resolved," he said in a statement.
Mr Murray acknowledged "the very difficult situation for all concerned", but said that "the real losers" were "the very ill and their families".
The 2001 report of the National Advisory Committee on Palliative Care stated that the specialist palliative care unit was the "core essential element" of the specialist palliative care service.
