Resumption of services is โ€œthe biggest challengeโ€ for health services in the Mid-West while planning permission has been granted for a new injury unit at Ennis General Hospital.

Addressing Mondayโ€™s meeting of Clare County Council, Group Chief Executive of UL Hospitals Group, Colette Cowan detailed their efforts in responding to COVID-19. The Mid-West was one of the first parts of the country hit by the pandemic which required the creation of โ€œa hospital within a hospitalโ€ to cater for COVID-19 and non COVID-19 patients.

Attendance in emergency departments dropped during the height of the restrictions. โ€œWe are trying to work up a plan to come up with a different option for patients that wonโ€™t have to come to emergency departments,โ€ she said of the anxiety some individuals have in travelling to the hospital at the current time.

Staff were deployed across UL Hospitals Group due to โ€œa worry of a critical care surgeโ€. She stated, โ€œWe will never be able to repay staff for what they have done, a lot of them donโ€™t want to leave critical care now. Weโ€™ve the best critical care unit in the countryโ€.

Gratitude was extended to The Clare Echo from Ms Cowan over the โ€œgreat media coverageโ€ of staff from Ennis General Hospital whom she described as โ€œreal championsโ€. She added, โ€œThey had a lot of surge going on with a lot of patients going in. We are very proud of them. Thanks to the media for giving them that profileโ€.

She confirmed that planning permission for an injury unit at Ennis General Hospital has been granted and will be going for tender. Funds did not come from the Groupโ€™s annual budget of โ‚ฌ370m, Cowan confirmed. โ€œThey need a theatre upgrade, that will be the next capital build. We are also looking for more space for a medical assessment unitโ€.

Capacity challenges in the Mid-West still exist, Colette admitted. โ€œThe biggest challenge for us is the resumption of services. Staff fatigue is something we have to watch very carefully, all staff are tired including managers, they are exhausted. For a long time they had their heads down and felt health service was a negative story, they feel proud nowโ€.

Cllr Pat Daly (FF) welcomed the new injury unit and increased amount of outpatient activity associated with Ennis General Hospital. โ€œWeโ€™ve a fantastic hospital in Ennis, whatever facilities can be given to the hospital in Ennis they wonโ€™t go astray, with Tom Peirce and his team it will be done,โ€ Cllr John Crowe (FG) remarked.

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