The Health Minister has promised that new and enhanced services will be coming to Ennis in the near future.
Jennifer Carrol MacNeill came under fire during her visit to this county as it coincided with a stark warning from the HSE MidWest Medical Board of intolerable conditions at University Hospital Limerick.
The aim of the Health Minister’s visit was to discern which services could potentially be transfered from Limerick to Ennis and surrounding areas and to also assess how GPs, ambulance services and ancillary facilities like primary care centres could be supported and bolstered in this county.
It’s understood the HSE has prepared a document indicating which services can be moved, expanded or brought to Ennis, Nenagh and St Johns and Minister Jennifer Carrol MacNeill is due to provide feedback on those plans.
Speaking at Ennis Hospital, the Health Minister says she wants to put an end to Clare patients travelling to Limerick for treatment they should be getting closer to home.
The visit coincided with a statement issued earlier that day by HSE MidWest’s Medical Board warning of ongoing intolerable conditions at University Hospital Limerick.
The statement called for the establishment of a development board for the new hospital and referenced severe overcrowding, delayed admissions and staff exhaustion.
The board said optimising Model 2 hospitals is important, but is not a substitute for the acute inpatient and emergency capacity this region has lacked for years.
Minister Carrol MacNeill insists her plans will take the pressure of UHL.
The Deputy Chair of the Medical Board says they’re “all for” using regional facilities to the maximum effect and the plan is on the Minister’s desk which involves expanding that use.
But Consultant Physician, Professor Joe Devlin has told Clare FM’s Morning Focus that to do so, the recruitment of staff must be prioritised.
You can listen here.
