A more frequent X-Ray service based in Clifden would encourage local GPs to refer more patients to it, the Regional Health Forum was told by a member this week.
The meeting heard that more extensive X-Ray facilities in Clifden are not possible because the demand has not existed for the servcie.
Cllr Dáithí O Cualáin told the meeting that the radiographer travels out from UHG to Clifden only if there are 15-20 patients to be seen and that this happens only once every four weeks.
He said that that this service was inadequate and added that it was no surprise the number of users of the service had fallen from 191 to 124 in just two years.
He said that local GPs were not using the service because of the subsequent delays in getting results back, and they send patients to UHG instead.
He felt that this goes against the current trend of providing services in the community.
He was told by Saolta Group COO Anne Cosgrove that the service has been provided over many years but the numbers have never justified its expansion.
“There are not enough people using it to justify a fulltime post, or even a one-day a week post. If the cases are urgent, they go straight to UHG. The service matches the level of demand there,” she said.
However Cllr O Cualáin said that if it was done on a more timely fashion and if there were ulstrasound facilities there, then the GPs would refer more patients to it, and the numbers would rise to justify demand.”
