CONCERNS have been raised over patchy emergency coverage in West Cork as ambulances get diverted to CUH at peak times, leaving patients with certain health conditions without emergency care.

Bantry-based Cllr Danny Collins (Ind Ire) raised the issue at a recent meeting of the HSE Regional Health Forum South West.

He said Bantry General Hospital was a centre of excellence and it was important to have it open for the people from West of Bandon to West Cork’s three peninsulas and parts of Kerry.

“Ambulances are getting redirected to CUH where they meet a bottle neck,” he said.

“I know of a situation recently where a young man playing a soccer game got a bad leg injury. An ambulance was called at 8pm but it was 11pm before it arrived to the pitch, leaving him lying there for over 3 hours.”

Cllr Collins added that, luckily in this case it was not a life-threatening injury but a lack of ambulance availability also affected people with other serious health issues.

He added he was not blaming staff at Bantry hospital or any of our paramedics but that “we need ambulances in the area, not caught up in CUH”.

Cllr Collins said that from Wednesday night until noon on Thursday (September 15 and September 16), Bantry hospital could only accept stroke and cardiac arrest patients but no other patients that needed to be transported there.

Cllr Peter Horgan (Lab), chairperson of the HSE Regional Health Forum South West, said that last week, he signed off a letter regarding ambulance funding in Cork and Kerry raised at the previous committee meeting.

He added he expected an answer from the Minister of Health ahead of the government’s announcement of the 2027 budget on October 7.   

Sonya Cotter, HSE South West’s Integrated Healthcare Area Manager Cork North and East, said the diversions at Bantry hospital happened mainly due to winter pressures.

“You’re correct there was an ambulance diversion in place for Bantry yesterday evening. Seven ambulances went into Bantry before the diversion and the seven patients were admitted safely and being cared for. With regards to ambulance diversions, we have a set protocol in place and that is clinically led and operationally managed. It’s really about providing safe care across all areas but certainly into that area.”

On ambulance availability, Ms Cotter added that the HSE had visibility on a daily basis of the emergency ambulances covering the Bantry area but also of ICVs, Intermediate Care Vehicles.

“There are times, as you know, where patients that enter into either the local injury unit, the assessment unit, or directly into the hospital deteriorate and require acute model four or model three care,” she said.

“There is a Protocol 37 for inter-hospital transfer where the ambulance does need to come out of the area to transfer those patients up appropriately. That wouldn’t be a diversion that is down to clinical needs.”