Peamount Hospital, the national specialist referral centre for tuberculosis (TB), has terminated the contract of its medical director with effect from Monday as part of a plan to close its TB unit.
The action by Peamount has been greeted with dismay by experts in infectious disease and respiratory medicine.
While it was known that the board of Peamount Hospital planned to discontinue TB and other acute respiratory services, the decision to terminate the contract of its medical director, Prof Luke Clancy, in the absence of a timeframe for the transfer of these services was unexpected.