*Ennis Hospital.
FIGHTING to get an emergency department for Ennis represents “the opportunity of a lifetime” for politicians in the county.
At Monday’s meeting of Clare County Council, elected members stressed the case for HIQA’s review into whether the Mid-West review requires a second emergency department to choose Clare.
Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll McNeill (FG) during a previous visit to University Hospital Limerick said she expected HIQA’s review to be completed in May but no official deadline has been set. Following a briefing with elected members in the region ahead of HIQA’s report publication, a Clare politician told The Clare Echo it was “game over” for the recommendation to be an ED for Ennis.
County councillors believe the fight is not over with a motion tabled by Cllr Joe Killeen (FF), Cllr Pat Daly (FF), Cllr Tom O’Callaghan (FF), Cllr Michael Shannon (FF) and Cllr Shane Talty (FF) this week.
They urged the HSE to recognise that another hospital with an emergency department is required in the Mid-West. “We are calling on all concerned such as the Taoiseach, Tánaiste, Minister for Health, HSE, HIQA, Clare Oireachtas and County Councillor members, Friends of Ennis hospital to put in place a strategy that will deliver a Model 3 or 4 hospital in the town of Ennis or a central location in the county, so that the people of Clare can experience a top-class health service for now and for future years.”
Speaking on Monday, Cllr Killeen reminded colleagues HIQA have not released their report despite recent reports in The Clare Echo and The Clare Champion referencing plans to expand capacity at UHL. He said the existing ED at UHL served 431,000 people “so almost half a million people are served by one over-stretched and overworked hospital”.
He added, “We were promised a Centre of Excellence in 2009 but we got a Centre of Confusion, Suffering, Stress and Long Delays”.
Ennis’ designation as a model two hospital “is not good enough for the 130,000 people living in the county,” Cllr Daly stated. “Hearing reports that HIQA are not recommending a second ED in the Mid-West makes you wonder are they in the real world,” he remarked. “If there’s a few pound to be made you can be sure consultants might come to Ennis,” he added.
People living in West Clare are not within the golden hour to reach UHL, Cllr O’Callaghan flagged as he referenced the sad passing of his sister twenty seven years ago. “Shame on the Government, we shouldn’t be begging for this,” he said. Ennis’ medical assessment unit with 7,000 patients annually is a success, he noted.
Frustration is building in West Clare “for generations over the lack of medical services,” outlined Cllr Shannon. “If the right decision is made we shouldn’t have an issue staffing a model three hospital”. He said, “it is a fundamental decision to determine the future of West Clare and North Clare for generations to come. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, we owe it to the county to fight for this”.
Clare and Ennis needs an upgraded hospital, Cllr Tommy Guilfoyle (SF) maintained. “I hope all councillors have all deputies from their parties in line because in 2009 ye didn’t when we had the same parties in Government”
Friends of Ennis Hospital were praised for their work by elected members including Cllr Joe Garrihy (FG) for their “really detailed fact-checking and digging the data over some time”. He added, “there has been investment over recent years but not to make up for poor decision”.
“Whoever shouts loudest will get it, let’s get the ball rolling for creating the strategy and shouting the loudest,” stressed Cllr Rita McInerney (FF). The likelihood of getting from the Loop Head Peninsula to UHL in forty five minutes “is very slim,” flagged Cllr Antoinette Baker Bashua (FF). “West Clare and North Clare is really at risk of not surviving because they can’t get to medical care on time,” warned Cllr Clare Colleran Molloy (FF).
Extra investment in UHL is not the answer, Cllr Pat O’Gorman (FF) said. “If I had a choice between going to hospital in Limerick or Ennis, I’d choose Ennis, I was in UHL with my mother after she had a stroke and it is not fit for humans”. The “hospital and health services is not fit for purpose in this region,” Cllr Pat Hayes (FF) said.
Government will make the decision “don’t mind HIQA”, maintained Cllr John Crowe (FG). Support was also voiced by Cllr David Griffin (FF), Cllr Paul Murphy (FG), Cllr Michael Begley (IND), Cllr James Ryan (SF) and Cllr Conor Ryan (FG).
Importance of patient advocates was underlined by Cllr Rachel Hartigan (FF) who spoke of developing sepsis in March.
