There could be yet another U-turn performed by the Minister for Health Leo Vaaradkar after he issued a stark warning to the management at St Vincent’s Hospital.
Mr Varadkar has warned the hospital that much needed funding will be reallocated elsewhere unless they solve the ongoing dispute over the planned €150 million relocation of the National Maternity Hospital to its site. It is understood that both St Vincent’s and the NMH is at loggerheads over governance, which has prompted Mr Varadkar appeal to management at both hospitals to settle their differences for the good of patients.
Mr Varadkar told St Vincent’s chairman Jimmy Menton: “If no such agreement can be reached within the next few weeks, I regret that we will be left with no option but to examine alternatives.”
However St Vincent’s Hospital has argued that the board at the NMH at Holles Street should be merged into its own board in the interests of patient safety and efficient operation, although the National Maternity Hospital strongly disagrees with St Vincent’s assessment and reiterated its desire to retain its own board.
The ongoing dispute has now seemingly angered Mr Varadkar to issue threats after the argument prevented the planning application for the upcoming project being lodged.