Launch of new Mid-West Palliative Care Strategy

HEALTHCARE agencies across the Mid-West have come together to develop a new five-year strategy for Palliative Care in Limerick, Clare and North Tipperary. 

The Mid-West Palliative Care Strategy (2021-2025), which was launched this week in an event at Milford Care Centre, sets out a vision to bring additions to the high quality services already available in the region.

The strategy has been jointly developed by Milford Care Centre, HSE Mid West Community Healthcare and UL Hospitals Group and seeks to further develop a partnership approach among each of these key healthcare partners.

Its focus is “all services in the Mid West working together to care for persons with life limiting conditions.”  In practice, it will function as the roadmap on which initiatives over the coming years will be developed and implemented by the HSE and Milford Care Centre, with the support of other key agencies and voluntary partners across the Mid West.

It sets out a vision for the next four years that aims to ensure: a greater understanding of palliative care among the public and healthcare staff; timely access to services
and increased opportunities for people who want to receive end of life care at home

Specific targets contained within the plan include a reduction in unnecessary hospital admissions, the establishment of more formal links between care providers in order to benefit service users and improved access to palliative care throughout Limerick, North Tipperary and Clare.

Mary O'Brien, our CEO, speaking at the launch of the Mid West Palliative Care Strategy. She’s outlining the Strategy’s key priorities and goals for the coming years@1MaryOBrien pic.twitter.com/YyoKY0EwmM

— Milford Care Centre (@MilfordLmkCC) September 13, 2021

The new strategy builds on a previous strategic plan, which was launched in 2013 and saw the completion of a new 34-bed specialist in-patient unit in Milford Care Centre, as well as a targeted expansion of the centre’s broad range of education programmes, which have proven to be an invaluable resource to frontline staff across all agencies.

Mary O’Brien, Chief Executive Officer of Milford Care Centre said, “the partnership co-design of this strategy has seen healthcare agencies working together to set out a Palliative Care vision for 2021 – 2025.

“We are delighted to launch the strategy today and I look forward to adding to and building on the excellent services already in place. I would like to thank the team that worked on the Strategy for their insight and vision, my predecessor Pat Quinlan and Seamus Woods for his time given in facilitating the group who produced this Strategy” – Mary O’Brien.

“I look forward to implementing it with our partner healthcare organisations and seeing its impact across the service.”

Maria Bridgeman, Chief Officer of HSE Mid West Community Healthcare said, “I want to warmly welcome this Strategy, which represents a joint approach between Milford Care Centre, HSE Mid-West Community Healthcare and University of Limerick Hospitals Group and is a credit to the teams involved in its development. 

“I would like to thank each of them wholeheartedly for their dedicated work. I am looking forward to the effective implementation of this strategy across the Mid-West and to seeing the positive change it will bring about.”

Colette Cowan, Chief Executive Officer of UL Hospitals Group said, “Cross-agency collaboration with colleagues in HSE Mid West Community Healthcare and specialist providers such as Milford Care Centre is key in progressing shared goals to improve population health and wellbeing in the Mid-West.

“This strategy provides the framework through which hospital, community, primary care and specialist providers will provide an integrated model of care ensuring people with life-limiting conditions can access a level of palliative care service appropriate to their needs.”