Misplaced Pages

Roscommon University Hospital
Health Service Executive
Roscommon University Hospital
Shown in Ireland
Geography
Location	Roscommon, Ireland
Coordinates	53°37′30″N 8°10′38″W / 53.6250°N 8.1773°W / 53.6250; -8.1773
Organisation
Care system	HSE
Type	General
Services
Beds	115
History
Opened	1941
Links
Website	www.saolta.ie/hospital/ruh

Roscommon University Hospital (Irish: Ospidéal Ollscoile Ros Comáin) is a general hospital based in Roscommon, Ireland. It is situated on the N61 just outside Roscommon town. It is managed by Saolta University Health Care Group.

History

Early history

The hospital was built at a cost of £120,000 and at the time it was built it had "98 beds for surgical and medical cases, in addition to special children's and maternity wards". It was commissioned to replace the infirmary at Abbeytown (now the County Library) and opened as Roscommon County Hospital in November 1941.

Closure of maternity services

St Anne's maternity ward closed in 1978 when the Health Board refused to appoint an obstetrician-gynaecologist to the hospital. Since that date, there has been no maternity department in County Roscommon.

Closure of accident & emergency services

The Roscommon Hospital Action Committee (HAC) was a campaign group established to protest against the downgrading of Accident and Emergency services at the hospital. In December 2006, the Roscommon Hospital Action Committee criticised what it called the "fudged language" of the Health Service Executive (HSE) on emergency care at the hospital. Later, in August 2010, thousands of people marched through Roscommon to the hospital where they made a human chain.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny confirmed the downgrading of emergency services at the hospital while visiting Roscommon to open a constituency office for Denis Naughten on 27 June 2011. He was met by protesters. While campaigning ahead of the general election earlier that year, Kenny had been recorded by a journalist promising emergency care would be kept at the hospital if people voted for Naughten and Frank Feighan. In July 2011, when the downgrading of services had been confirmed and the recording made public, Kenny spoke of his regret for the confusion his words may have caused voters.

During July and August 2011, members of the Roscommon Hospital Action Committee protested at Leinster House, at several bridges over the River Shannon, and at a sit-in at the hospital's 24-hour emergency unit.

After a woman discovered files containing the personal details of hundreds of patients from the Midland Regional Hospital, Mullingar, in a bin outside Roscommon Hospital, she gave them to the Roscommon Hospital Action Committee which passed them on to the Data Protection Commissioner. Three investigations were established.

In late 2011, despite protests by the Roscommon Hospital Action Committee, the hospital's Accident and Emergency unit closed and was replaced with an "Urgent Care Unit". Since that date, there have been no emergency services in County Roscommon.

Recent history

The hospital became Roscommon University Hospital in November 2015.

References

1. "Six hospital groups 'most fundamental reform in decades'". Irish Medical Times. 14 May 2013. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
2. ^ Irish Times, 31 December 1941, p. 36
3. Irish Times, 5 September 1978, p. 11
4. "In a Word...Roscommon". The Irish Times.
5. ^ O'Regan, Michael (28 June 2011). "Protesters confront Taoiseach over decision to cut Roscommon services". The Irish Times. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
6. "Fight for hospital still 'as real as ever'". Roscommon Herald. 13 December 2006. Archived from the original on 15 April 2012. Retrieved 13 December 2006.
7. "8,000 protest over Roscommon hospital". RTÉ News. Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 16 August 2010. Retrieved 16 August 2010.
8. "Kenny regrets confusion over Roscommon issue". RTÉ News. Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 11 July 2011. Retrieved 11 July 2011.
9. "Roscommon hospital group plans protests". RTÉ News. Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 1 July 2011. Retrieved 1 July 2011.
10. Siggins, Lorna (10 August 2011). "Pledge to continue hospital protest". The Irish Times. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
11. "Protest as 24/7 service ends at Roscommon hospital". RTÉ News. Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 8 August 2011. Retrieved 8 August 2011.
12. McDonagh, Marese (9 August 2011). "Protesters block doors as hospital cuts service". The Irish Times. Retrieved 9 August 2011.
13. Ó Caollaí, Éanna; McDonagh, Marese (11 August 2011). "Inquiries into Roscommon files find". The Irish Times. Retrieved 11 August 2011.
14. "Three inquiries into dumped medical records". RTÉ News. Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 12 August 2011. Retrieved 12 August 2011.
15. "Roscommon now the Baghdad of treaty war". Irish Independent. 23 May 2012. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
16. "Roscommon: Urgent care centre to open Monday". RTÉ. 7 July 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
17. "FG councillors quit over Roscommon A&E closure". Irish Independent.
18. "Roscommon to lose emergency department". RTÉ.ie. 5 July 2011.
19. "Roscommon unit to close next week". The Irish Times.
20. "Closure of Roscommon emergency department goes ahead, says HSE". The Irish Times.
21. "New name for Roscommon Hospital". Boyle Today. 18 November 2015. Retrieved 17 May 2019.

• 1941 establishments in Ireland
• Hospital buildings completed in 1941
• Hospitals established in 1941
• Buildings and structures in County Roscommon
• Hospitals in County Roscommon
• Health Service Executive hospitals
• Roscommon (town)
• 20th-century architecture in the Republic of Ireland