Save portlaoise A&E services now following the Leaked Report of the Midlands. Hospital group management .

I am a South African doctor who worked at the Portlaoise A&E for one year. This department provides an essential service to the community of Portlaoise and the surrounding areas. If it closes patients are going to have to travel an unacceptable distance to receive emergency care. It certainly is a busy department ( I remember being worked off my feet at times) and if all Portlaoise patients are deferred to Tullamore/Naas etc it will definitely increase the patient load in those departments - this is sure to lead to increased patient dissatisfaction and decreased patient safety. Finally I would like to comment that in all my years as a doctor I have never come across more competent nurses than those I encountered in the Portlaoise A&E - they are not only knowledgable but also extremely dedicated to the community that they serve.