Tag Archives: Ennis Hospital

A Government review is to be carried out to determine if a second Emergency Department (ED) is required for the Mid-West region, a facility that will most likely be located in Ennis, if created. Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly (FF), this morning announced the review in the wake of a number of serious incidents at UHL, including the death of Clare teenage Aoife Johnston, and ongoing pressures at the ED at University Hospital Limerick (UHL). In a statement, Minister Donnelly said that the decision to close emergency departments in Ennis and other areas 15 years ago was “based on the very clear clinical advice at the time”. “The aim was to minimise the risk of a patient presenting at the Emergency Department whose time critical needs exceeded the capacity of the hospital, and specialties needed, to treat them. We also know that important services, including intensive care units, require a certain throughput so that clinicians can maintain their skills,” he …

ON April 6, 2009, the A&E unit in Ennis closed, with politicians promising a new centre of excellence at what was then known as the Mid Western Regional Hospital in Limerick. Fifteen years and on those promises have never been fulfilled, with the A&E at UHL now regularly setting unwanted records for the worst overcrowding in the country. Horror stories about the hospital abound and this week Clare Senator Timmy Dooley has called for an emergency to be declared, while independent TD Michael McNamara has demanded that the incoming Taoiseach take the lead on resolving the dire situation at UHL. Mr McNamara said that he doesn’t have much faith in the Government to resolve a crisis that has been worsening throughout its time in office. “There are possibilities, but do I see those possibilities being exploited or utilised by the Government? I don’t. I don’t want to play politics with this but the reality is that there is a problem …

SIGNIFICANT reductions in scheduled care are to remain in force across UL Hospitals’ Group this week as the major internal incident declared on January 2 is stood down. According to the UL Hospitals’ Group, extraordinary measures taken across the group and in the community have helped reduced the extreme levels of overcrowding seen early last week at the Emergency Department at UHL. However, all acute hospitals in the region are operating above capacity and staff remain on high alert amid a surge of respiratory infection in the community that has not yet reached its peak. The Hospital Crisis Management Team continues to meet twice daily seven days a week. However, the major internal incident was stood down by UL Hospitals’ Group CEO Professor Colette Cowan on Monday, January 9. Day surgery at Ennis, Nenagh and St John’s Hospitals remains cancelled until the end of this week as the day wards in these hospitals have been designated as surge capacity for …

Non-critical patients can now be transferred directly by ambulance to the Medical Assessment Unit in Ennis Hospital as part of a new pilot project to ease chronic overcrowding at University Hospital Limerick. Paramedics were left with no option but to transport all Clare patients directly to UHL via ambulance following the controversial removal of 24-hour casualty cover from Ennis and Nenagh Hospitals in April 2009. The Mid-West Hospital Campaign has been informed this new emergency pathway will be accessible from Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays. The patient must meet agreed clinical criteria and has to be accepted by the MAU physician in Ennis Hospital. The Mid-West Hospital Campaign has welcomed this announcement as a “stepping stone in the right direction” towards its desired objective concerning the return of around the clock emergency cover at Ennis and Nenagh Hospitals. A spokesperson thanked all the people involved in the Friends of Ennis Hospital, “Nenagh …

HOSPITAL campaigners have claimed there is no major improvement for patients attending the Emergency Department in University Hospital Limerick (UHL), despite the HSE’s “expert intervention”. Clare members of the Mid-West Hospital Campaign participated in a protest outside Ennis Hospital on Monday to highlight the crisis in ED unit. Similar demonstrations also took place in Navan, Drogheda, Cavan, Mullingar, Limerick and Nenagh. The protesters read out some of the recent survey responses from the public following the initiative undertaken by the Mid-West Hospital Campaign. Group member, Noeleen Moran told the Clare Champion they decided to go ahead with this protest, despite subzero temperatures because there is no progress being made to address the crisis at UHL. “The Petitions Committee has not received a response from the Department of Health yet in relation to the group’s petition calling for the upgrading of casualty facilities in the region. “The HSE’s response wasn’t even aware that the Deloitte report was already published and stated …

ENNIS hospital is looking to engage with volunteers to welcome patients and visitors to the hospital. The hospital is looking for volunteers to be an ambassador for the facility in Ennis to carry out the following: Welcome visitors to the hospital; offer assistance; assist with wayfinding to various wards, clinics, and departments; walk with hospital visitors to their location if necessary; request wheelchairs on behalf of patients. At present this is a morning service with a minimum commitment of three hours per week. If you are interested in volunteering please contact Ennis hospital on 065 6824464 or email UHLPals@hse.ie for more details.

  Short-term staffing deficits have been cited for the temporary closure of the Ennis Injury Unit on Saturday, August 20th. The UL Hospitals’ Group has announced that the Local Injury Unit in Ennis Hospital will be closed for one day due to a lack of staff to operate facilities. In a statement issued to the Clare Champion, the group confirmed this service will resume as normal on Sunday, August 21st from 8am to 8pm.   The group has apologised to patients who are inconvenienced by this disruption in service. “This decision has been made to ensure patient safety, which we strive to protect at all times. No other services at Ennis Hospital are affected.   “The group are advising people who require treatment for minor injuries on Saturday to attend the Injury Units at St John’s Hospital in Limerick, or Nenagh Hospital,” said a group spokesperson.   The group is also urging people with minor injuries not to attend the Emergency …

The number of attendances at the Medical Assessment Unit (MAU) in Ennis Hospital increased by 52% in the two years to 2021, with a further 8% increase recorded during the first five months of this year. That’s according to figures released by the HSE in response to a Parliamentary Question from Clare Independent TD Michael McNamara. Official figures show the number of attendances at the MAU in Ennis increased from 3,740 in 2019 to 5,673 in 2021. It has also emerged that average inpatient bed numbers in Ennis Hospital remained static at five. The HSE also confirmed the recent recruitment of seven new staff with additional recruitment underway in relation to allied health, general support and radiology positions at the MAU. Deputy McNamara, who has pressed the HSE and Government on the need to increase services at Ennis Hospital since the 2020 election, has welcomed the ongoing investment in services in Ennis, noting that the MAU now has capacity to …