Over 500 people have attended a public meeting in Portlaoise tonight to consider reports that the emergency department is to be downgraded because of a shortage of medical staff.
A total of four surgical registrars and two medical registrars are required to operate a full emergency service at the Midland Regional Hospital in Portlaoise.
However, a Health Service Executive report presented at a hospital meeting has stated that only two registrars have been recruited and no medical registrars will be available after 11 July.
A HSE spokesperson today said that a contingency plan is being prepared, but was unable to confirm whether any additional staff have been recruited since the hospital meeting took place.
The HSE told the Health Information and Quality Authority earlier this year that there were no plans for the hospital to cease accepting major complex emergency cases in its emergency department.
It also said there were no plans to stop accepting acute or elective inpatients for surgery.
A system to allow for major trauma cases to be referred elsewhere has been in place since January.
Meanwhile, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation has said that the shortage of junior hospital doctors should not lead to the closure of emergency departments.
INMO Deputy General Secretary Dave Hughes said that the proper use of nursing and other health professionals could help solve the problem.
He said that up to 70% of the care given in emergency departments is provided by nurses and under medical supervision.
