THE CLOSURE of accident and emergency services at Nenagh and Ennis hospitals did not have the support of the people or health professionals, Fine Gael health spokesman Dr James Reilly claimed.

Moving a Private Member’s Motion calling for the retention of the services, Dr Reilly said essential upgrading of facilities in the mid-west had not taken place.

The Government’s plans were supposed to be based on the HSE teamwork report, but the fact was that many basic recommendations had not been implemented.

“Quite simply, the conditions do not exist where it is viable for these local services to be safely removed.”

Dr Reilly said the thrust of the report, and the principle of centralising services and getting the best for patients, was something which had much merit. However, everything which the report itself asked to be done to make it safe to reach the goal was being ignored and left on the long finger.

Later, during sharp exchanges with Dr Reilly, Minister for Health Mary Harney asked him to withdraw an accusation of “criminal negligence” in her handling of the health services.

“I can take political accusations. I am not going to accept that.”

Dr Reilly said he had used the phrase “bordering on criminal negligence”.

Ms Harney said if Dr Reilly was not man enough to withdraw the accusation, “that reflects, I think, more on you than me”.

Defending the proposals for the mid-west, the Minister said the reorganisation of hospital services, around patient safety had always been put on the political conveyor belt.

“The only issue at stake in the reorganisation of services in the mid-west is not money but patient-safety. That is the dynamic that is driving reform.”

She said they were being asked to keep the A&E departments open in Nenagh and Ennis without a single emergency consultant in either hospital.

Ms Harney said she had not devised the reform of the mid-west in her department or in conjunction with the HSE.

“This reform is being driven by medical evidence of what is in the best interests in delivering good outcomes for patients.”

She said she could quote several reports to support this view.

Labour health spokeswoman Jan O’Sullivan warned that the proposals would mean that “extra patients will simply descend on an already overcrowded and overstretched Limerick Regional Hospital”.