Monaghan County Council has called on the Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill and the HSE to provide adequate funding and staffing for additional palliative care beds in Monaghan General Hospital.
The local authority is also requesting that these additional care beds have medical cover available 7 days a week.
This motion was brought forward Cllr Sinead Flynn who says it will ensure that no family in Co Monaghan is left unsupported at their most difficult time.
According to Cllr Flynn, the consultant responsible for palliative care at Monaghan Hospital has clearly said more beds are needed.
Despite this, the HSE has failed to provide the staff to allow those beds to open.
At present, these wards only have medical cover Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm. At weekends there is no medical cover available.
She says that means Monaghan hospital is unable to expand, despite having the space and potential for more palliative beds, simply because no funding or staffing has been made available.
Speaking to Northern Sound, Cllr Flynn said: "At present, these wards only have medical cover Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm. At weekends there is no medical cover available. That means Monaghan hospital is unable to expand, despite having the space and potential for more palliative beds, simply because no funding or staffing has been made available.
"To be told that there will be 16 beds in St Christopher's available from 2027, which is great but we must be clear this new facility is to be shared between two counties. This is not sufficient for the population of Co Monaghan and Co Cavan and I feel its very unfair for families in Inniskeen or Truagh, who would have to travel two hours every day to Cavan to see their loved one, we need our own dedicated hospice in Co Monaghan and until such time, we need to ensure we have adequate funding and staffing for additional palliative care beds in Monaghan General Hospital, with medical cover available 7 days a week, ensuring that no family in Co Monaghan is left unsupported at their most difficult time."
