Age restrictions must be lifted at Minor Injuries Unit at Louth County Hospital – Fitzpatrick

Fine Gael TD for Louth, Peter Fitzpatrick, has said that the age restrictions need to be lifted at the Minor Injuries Unit at Louth County Hospital to allow children to be treated at the hospital.

“Currently there is an age restriction of 14 years in place at the Minor Injuries Unit at the Louth County Hospital. I’m appealing for this restriction to be lifted, to allow the services in place at the hospital to be made available to children.

“I recently raised this issue with the Minister for Health and the Health Service Executive. I have been informed that there is a working group currently reviewing the age attendances in the Minor Injuries Unit at Louth County Hospital. I have also been told that since it has been 10 years since children were last seen in the hospital, paediatric training needs to be put in place, before the age restriction can be lifted.

“I’m now appealing to Minister Simon Harris to make the necessary funding available of this staff training, as a matter of urgency.

“Just this morning I visited the Louth County Hospital in Dundalk and was very pleased to see that all wards are open and fully operational. In fact the hospital has never been so busy.

“Unfortunately, many people are still unaware of the great services available in hospital and too many people are still going to the A&E in Drogheda, when in fact they could simply go to the Minor Injuries Unit in the Louth.

“Since 2010, the very dedicated staff at the Louth County Hospital have worked tirelessly to develop and expand the services available. I would appeal to everyone to make use of these great services.

“I will be pursuing this issue with Minister Simon Harris and I will be working to ensure that the required funding is made available for the staff training that’s required to allow children to be treated at the Louth. I believe that now is the time to put the benefits of our economic success to work for the people of Louth, so that we can help deliver the health services that this county deserves and I look forward to working with Minister Harris and his Department to ensure this happens.”