Health Minister Denies Portlaoise Hospital Being Downgraded

Health minister denies portlaoise hospital being downgraded

The Minister for Health denies that the Midlands Regional Hospital in Portlaoise is being downgraded. It was announced yesterday that all complex surgery is being moved and the Emergency Department will be scaled back. Leo Varadkar says the changes are designed to make the hospital safer and more efficient. "The hospital isn't being downgraded in the next five years - I expect Portlaoise will become busier, safer and better than it is now as a hospital" he said. "But services are being changed - some are being upgraded". "The maternity services now becoming linked up with the Coombe, there's additional midwives, additional consultants". "When it comes to medical services, there'll be an acute medical admissions unit being put in there quite soon - there'll be more day surgery" he added.