*Packed corridors at UHL.
NO NEW hospital will be built in Ennis and instead a new site in close proximity to University Hospital Limerick (UHL) will be constructed, as per new plans unveiled by the Minister for Health.
Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (FG) is to recommend that a new hospital be built in the Mid-West but not in Co Clare meaning residents in western, northern and eastern parts of the county will remain over an hour from their nearest emergency department. The memo will go before Cabinet prior to Christmas.
On Wednesday evening, Minister Carroll MacNeill briefed Oireachtas members from Clare, Limerick and Tipperary on her plans for the future of emergency health services in the Mid-West region on the back of the HIQA report.
Published two months ago, HIQA’s review detailed three options on the future of urgent and emergency healthcare services in the region. Option A is to expand University Hospital Limerick (UHL) at its current site, Option B is to extend the UHL campus with a second nearby site under a shared model, and Option C is to build a new Model 3 hospital with a second emergency department for the region.
At Wednesday’s briefing, the Health Minister said she would be pursuing Option A and B of the HIQA report. The plans include expanded services at Ennis, St John’s and Nenagh such as more hospital beds but crucially no new hospital for Co Clare.
Clare TD, Cathal Crowe (FF) told The Clare Echo following the briefing, “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”.
“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,” Deputy Crowe added.
Friends of Ennis Hospital, Angela Coll told The Clare Echo they will not give up their fight for a new hospital in Clare. “Feedback from the Minister’s meeting with Midwest TDs suggests that A+B are the preferred HIQA options with a vague possibility of C in the longer term. Our view with regards to A has not changed there is no space on the site in UHL for anything more than the 96 bed block currently under construction. Option B if it is built within 15 minutes of UHL will be of little or no benefit to the majority of people in County Clare particularly west and north of the county who will still have to travel over an hour in an emergency
“It would be our view that Option B, if it is the only short to medium term option it needs to be located for the benefit of the majority of the population which means on the motorway and north of the River Shannon. We still believe that the best solution for the people of Clare is a hospital in Clare for Clare. We will not give up that fight even though it has now become obviously a more difficult task,” she added.
Ireland South MEP, Michael McNamara (IND) predicted as far back as April to The Clare Echo that the HIQA review would not suggest a new hospital in Clare. “We bought a pup with reconfiguration. We shouldn’t make the same mistake again”.
