Barrett wants mobile X-Ray unit rolled out in Mayo immediately

The recent announcement by the HSE of a mobile x-ray service to help older people avoid having to attend Emergency Departments has been welcomed by Independent election candidate Harry Barrett.

However, he wants the service rolled out immediately in Mayo in order to avoid what he says could be "another crazy, winter period, with disgraceful, record-breaking trolley numbers."

Barrett made his call after the recent announcement by the HSE of the mobile x-ray service, which will be rolled out nationally next year following the success of a pilot study.

This will expand the free, community-based service to older patients in nursing homes, community facilities and in their homes on a phased basis.

People will be able to have x-rays taken in their nursing home or facility where they reside instead of having to travel to a hospital.

The service is currently running in a number of counties presently and Barrett has called for it to be extended to all Mayo health facilities immediately.

He continued,  "I have been calling for months our sick to be treated as close to home as possible and that full use be made of our district hospitals and Primary Care Centres. This service is an essential first step in stopping the crazy service we have at the moment where everything has to go through Mayo University hospital.

"I am calling now on the councillors who represent the county on the HSE Forum West to put in an immediate question in relation to this service so that we have a start date for the people of Mayo.

"Another crazy winter period, with disgraceful, record-breaking trolley numbers is not acceptable anymore and this new service is but one part of the solution that we need to see in this county immediately to reduce this suffering," he stated.