The Health Minister is to recommend a new build hospital in the Mid-West region, Clare Fianna Fáil TD Cathal Crowe has confirmed.
Confirmation came after the long-awaited HIQA review into healthcare in the Mid-West was published in October and identified three options: expanding current capacity at University Hospital Limerick (UHL)’s site in Dooradoyle (Option A); extending the campus to a second site in close proximity under a shared governance and resourcing model (Option B); or developing a new Model 3 hospital in the Mid-West region which would provide a second ED for the region (Option C).
According to Deputy Crowe: “Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill has confirmed to me that she intends to pursue both Option A and Option B of the HIQA report, which would mean further expansion at the current UHL site in addition to a second hospital campus in close proximity of Dooradoyle, which will share governance.
“This is good news for the Mid-West region, which has been paying the price of the closure of the three A&E departments at Ennis, St John’s in Limerick, and Nenagh since 2009.
“In the last Government, I, along with Deputy Willie O’Dea and Deputy Jackie Cahill, went to then Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly and made it clear that the practice of funnelling half a million people through one A&E in Limerick was a failed experiment and that the healthcare provision in the region needed to be expanded. In response, he ordered HIQA to examine the healthcare needs of the Mid-West and it is as a result of that report that we have the Minister’s decision today.
“The Minister is to bring her proposal to Cabinet before Christmas and I will be fighting to ensure that her proposal is accepted and we can get construction on the new hospital underway as soon as possible. It looks likely that the proposed model that a new hospital site will have to be identified in an area that is commutable for medical staff and patients. It is my belief that this radius, which is yet to be fully determined by HIQA and the HSE, should encompass parts of South-East Clare.
“Importantly, in addition to the new build sister hospital, the Minister has confirmed to me that she intends to further expand the services available at Ennis, St John’s and Nenagh, with increased beds at each location. She also has comprehensive plans for an improved ambulance service in the region, which will be of huge relief to those living distances from the current hospital.
“The Minister’s proposal will be of disappointment to some people who had hoped for a new build hospital in Ennis and surrounds, but the proposals from the Minister represent a huge and long-awaited reinforcement in the healthcare provision in the region and to the people of Clare.
“I want to thank Minister Carroll MacNeill for her engagement with me on this issue since becoming Minister for Health earlier this year, and to thank former Minister Stephen Donnelly who initially got the ball rolling on the HIQA report which has led us to these recommended actions.
“Ultimately, this will all have to go to Cabinet before Christmas for sign-off by Government but I am confident that we will have good news for the region and hopefully, in the new year, dialogue about where a new hospital could be built and how quickly beds that are needed in the very short term can be delivered.”