TDs to meet HSE officials on future of North East Galway services

By SIOBHÃÂN HOLLIMAN SENIOR officials with the HSE West will attend a meeting with Galway East TDs in the coming weeks to discuss future plans for health services in Tuam and the concerns regarding the reconfiguration of local mental health services.[private] The HSE West is in the process of making changes to mental health services in the region under the guidance of A Vision for Change. However the mapping changes and creation of new sectors is causing concern among service users, staff and some public representatives. Fianna Fáil TD Michael Kitt told The Herald that he has been contacted by families of patients as well as staff involved in the provision of mental health services in the Headford area. He says there is genuine concern and unhappiness about people being asked to use services in Galway when they have always been closely linked with Tuam. Area Manager Catherine Cunningham says that A Vision for Change means that the existing service sectors have to be realigned to serve a population of 50,000 people. There will be six new sectors operating in Galway-Roscommon and the areas of these have been determined to ensure that there is the correct number of staff. She is adamant that the reconfiguration will not result in any changes for those who use the services in Headford or elsewhere. 'We see it as an improvement for a lot of service users. If someone from the Headford area needs an acute bed they will now go to University Hospital Galway,' she said. Deputy Kitt raised the issue in the Dáil with Minister for Health James Reilly who referred it back to the HSE. Deputy Kitt says there are still a lot of unanswered questions as to why Headford services will no longer be linked with Tuam. Anxious about city link 'People in Headford are quite anxious about being linked with Galway city. We need to know what impact the changes will have on staff and service users. I have been contacted by those affected who are unhappy with the changes,' he said. The matter will be put on the agenda for an upcoming meeting between HSE West officials and Galway East Oireachtas members. 'I'm looking for further clarification on the issue. The general public aren't sure about what is happening and the changes need to be better explained,' remarked the East Galway TD. The HSE West informed Deputy Kitt that the mapping process currently being undertaken is essentially about organising the Galway-Roscommon services into six sectoral areas. Each sectoral area will have a population of about 50,000 people which they point out is in accordance with the recommendations in the strategy A Vision for Change. The HSE says that the broad outlines of the sectors have been agreed by the Regional Mapping Steering Group. 'Where services are in place locally, they will remain. Regarding travel distances, we do not anticipate that service users will have a reduction in access to clinical services which they currently have available to them. 'Therefore, services, including those in Ballinasloe, will adjust or not adjust, according to current provisions and on the basis of knowledge regarding community requirements,' stated HSE correspondence.[/private]