'People of Cavan want a hospital we can trust'

Sinn Féin Senator calls for a formal investigation into current practices.

Sinn Féin Senator Pauline Tully has called for an investigation into treatment delays and alleged surgical complications at Cavan General Hospital after recounting the experiences of two young patients in the Seanad.

During a debate on hospital services which took place yesterday (Thursday, May 21), Sen Tully criticised the absence of a Minister or Minister of State for Health from the chamber, describing it as “very disappointing” given the seriousness of the issues raised. She said the matter required direct engagement from the Department of Health.

The senator detailed the case of a 12-year-old boy, Aaron, who was admitted to Cavan General in April of this year with appendicitis. According to Sen Tully, the child experienced severe pain overnight while awaiting medical attention and later spent an entire day fasting before undergoing surgery late that same evening. However, the boy's family was later informed his appendix had ruptured and that complications during surgery had led to a more difficult procedure than initially indicated.

Sen Tully told the Seanad that Aaron subsequently developed further complications, including infection concerns and bowel obstruction, requiring transfer to Children's Health Ireland at Temple Street for additional surgery. The boy remains unwell and his recovery is ongoing.

The senator also highlighted the experience of Orán, a 20-year-old admitted to Cavan General in September 2025. Sen Tully said he spent a night on a trolley in the emergency department before scans confirmed appendicitis. Following surgery, his appendix was also found to have ruptured, and he later required intensive care treatment, followed by a transfer to Beaumont Hospital due to complications including bowel obstruction and adhesions.

According to Sen Tully, the young man missed a semester of college and still faces further surgery in future.

“This is happening too often,” the Cavan senator said, claiming she had become aware of several other cases. One involved a young man in February who suffered a ruptured appendix as well, and another female whose colon was perforated when she was getting her appendix removed.

Sen Tully questioned whether the problems stem from staffing shortages, clinical failings, or a combination of both, and she called for a formal investigation into current practices at the hospital.

“We need to see some inquiries being made into this and a proper investigation of what is going on. Is it a case of staff under-resourcing, incompetence by certain members of staff or a combination of both? We really need the Minister for Health to look into this.”

Responding on behalf of Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Noel Grealish, said he would ensure the Minister receives a transcript of the debate, and would ask her to reply directly to Sen Tully.

Minister Grealish said the hospital operates “in line with national healthcare standards and established clinical governance frameworks” and noted that a 2024 inspection by Health Information and Quality Authority found ten out of eleven assessed standards to be compliant or substantially compliant.

He also outlined the investment there has been in the hospital group, stating that staffing levels had increased by 28% since 2020, while budgets had risen from €115 million to €183 million.

Additional beds and a new emergency department are also planned as part of ongoing expansion works.

However, Sen Tully insisted that frontline staff were “rushed off their feet” and families had been left “traumatised” by their experiences.

“It is not fair. It is putting pressure on them and that is when mistakes are made. In this case, mistakes were possibly made and, as I said, we need answers as to what happened here. We also need to ensure it does not continue to happen,” she said. “The people of Cavan and I are delighted that we have a general public hospital in our county but we want a hospital we can trust. We want to know that when somebody goes in there for whatever reason, he or she will be cared for in a timely fashion.”

She concluded by stating a belief there is a need for “more staff” to ensure patients are seen to promptly. “These families were traumatised. One mother who reached out to me said they could not speak about it for months afterwards because they were so traumatised by what they went through and so worried about their son at the time.”

Watch the debate HERE.