Roscommon Hospital Action Committee

The Roscommon Hospital Action Committee (HAC) is a campaign group established to protest against the downgrading of A&E services at Roscommon Hospital in Ireland. Its chairman is John McDermott. McDermott was an unsuccessful candidate for the Roscommon–South Leitrim constituency at the 2011 general election.^[1]

In December 2006, the Roscommon Hospital Action Committee criticised what it called the "fudged language" of the Health Service Executive (HSE) on emergency care at Roscommon Hospital.^[2]

On 16 August 2010, thousands of people marched through Roscommon to the hospital where they held hands and made a human chain.^[3]

Taoiseach Enda Kenny confirmed the downgrading of emergency services at the hospital while visiting Roscommon to open a constituency office for Denis Naughten on 27 June 2011. He was met by upset protesters.^[1] While campaigning ahead of the general election earlier that year, Kenny had been recorded by a journalist promising emergency care would be kept at the hospital if people voted for Naughten and Frank Feighan. In July 2011, when the downgrading of services had been confirmed and the recording made public, Kenny spoke of his regret for the confusion his words may have caused voters.^[4]

In July 2011, the Roscommon Hospital Action Committee protested at Leinster House and later at seven bridges over the River Shannon.^[5] On 8 August 2011, members of the Committee participated in a sit-in at the hospital's 24-hour emergency unit as it was to close down.^[6][7] A banner made from torn sheets hung on the wall outside, saying: "Our Hands Can save Lives but this is death at the hands of Fine Gael and Labour".^[8]

After a woman walking her dog discovered files containing the personal details of hundreds of patients from the Midland Regional Hospital, Mullingar, in a bin outside Roscommon Hospital she gave them to the Roscommon Hospital Action Committee which passed them on to the Data Protection Commissioner.^[9] Three investigations were established.^[10]

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