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Home » Tag Archives: Health Minister Stephen Donnelly

Tag Archives: Health Minister Stephen Donnelly

Health Minister: ‘Mistakes were made’ over A&E in Mid-West

HEALTH Minister Stephen Donnelly has admitted “mistakes” were made implementing the controversial removal of 24-hour Accident and Emergency services in Ennis and Nenagh Hospitals in April 2009. Speaking in the Dáil, Minister Donnelly acknowledged “sufficient capacity” was not provided for when changes were made to emergency departments in the Mid-West, which was now being addressed with more beds and health workforce. “UHL is under significant pressure. I turned the sod recently on an additional 96 beds. There are two more plans that will provide a further 200 beds. We are also putting in a surgical hub. There is an awful lot of investment going in. “We will be investing in Nenagh, Ennis and further in St. John’s Hospital and other hospitals. This is the way to do it.” He said changes were being introduced in the new consultant contract to have more senior decision-makers rostered in the evenings and at weekends for patient assessment, treatment, admission and discharge. Addressing the …

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New Laura Brennan HPV Vaccine Catch-up Programme launched

A LATE Ennis HPV vaccine advocate has been honoured with a new catch-up vaccination programme that is named after her in collaboration with the Department of Health. Health Minister Stephen Donnelly lauded the tirelessly campaigning work of Laura Brennan when he spoke to reporters outside University Hospital Limerick on Thursday. Minister Donnelly and the family of the late Laura Brennan, have announced the Laura Brennan HPV Vaccine Catch-Up Programme.   Laura died with cervical cancer at the age of 26 in March 2019 but her legacy of advocacy of the HPV vaccine has lived on. Last October, she was honoured with a portrait in the Royal College of Physicians and the RCPI shared an image of Laura’s portrait recently to mark what would have been her 30thth birthday. “We remember her courage and grace as she bravely shared her story while advocating for the HPV vaccine. “Laura’s portrait sits proudly in our historic No.6 Kildare Street, a reminder of her …

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Health Minister Visits UHL For Start of Work On 96-Bed Block

WORK has commenced on delivering the new €90 million 96-Bed Block at University Hospital Limerick, which will result in a net increase of 48 new in-patient beds. However, the UL Hospitals’ Group has confirmed this new extension will take at least two years to complete and the new facility will then have to be equipped and commissioned before opening to patients. Described by the group as the next step in increasing acute bed capacity in the Mid-West, the new 9,800 square-metre block will be built over the existing Emergency Department and Dialysis Unit and will consist of 96 en-suite single rooms over four floors. Approximately half of the beds will be new beds for inpatients while the remainder will be replacement beds allowing the hospital to close or refurbish some of the more outdated inpatient accommodation on the site. This will allow for greater compliance with national guidelines and international best practice on infection prevention and control. Speaking in Limerick …

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Clare TD queries delay in opening of Ennis Primary Care Centre

CONCERN has been expressed about the delay in the scheduled time frame when the new multi-million Euro Ennis Primary Care Centre will be fully operational. Deputy Michael McNamara recently asked the Health Minister Stephen Donnelly when the Ennis Primary Healthcare Centre at Station Road Ennis will be fully operational. Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said that HSE Estates has advised that the centre is scheduled to become operational during the third quarter of the year. “The opening of the Station Road centre will be a significant development in the delivery of community-based health services for the people of Ennis and the surrounding area,” Minister Donnelly explained. However, Deputy McNamara is concerned about the latest delay after he was informed by Mid-West Primary Care Manager, Carmel McLaughlin the HSE Estates Department has advised this centre will become operational “in the latter part of 2022”. “The centre is currently being equipped and services will commence operation on a phased basis,” she stated. As …

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Ennis Primary Care Centre to be fully operational in Q4

IT is anticipated that the new Ennis Primary Care Centre will be operational in the fourth quarter of this year, according to a progress update provided by the HSE. Deputy Michael McNamara recently asked the Health Minister Stephen Donnelly when the Ennis Primary Healthcare Centre at Station Road Ennis will be fully operational. The Sonas Medical Centre, which is being operated by Dr Conor Fanning is currently operating out of the new Primary Care Centre. A variety of services will be provided from the new Primary Care Centre when it becomes fully operational. They include public health nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, dietetics, psychology, speech and language therapy, ophthalmology, audiology, podiatry, lymphoedema, dental, chronic diseases management, integrated care programme for older persons, community diagnostics and TUSLA. Deputy McNamara also asked Minister Donnelly the status of the recruitment of specialist roles at the proposed chronic disease management hub and when will the hub become fully operational. Mid-West Community Healthcare has been funded …

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Health minister admits more staff needed to alleviate UHL issues

MORE nurses, doctors, allied health professionals and specialists are needed to help reduce chronic overcrowding at University Hospital Limerick, according to Health Minister Stephen Donnelly. Minister Donnelly said it was really good to met healthcare staff in UHL recently including hospital porters, nurses, allied health professionals, doctors, management and patients. The minister outlined he wanted to see first-hand what is working – because there has been a lot of investment in UHL – and what is not working. “What I have seen is an incredible healthcare community, their professionalism, dedication and skill is amazing. We are very lucky to have such people.” “However, it is also clear to me they are exhausted and stressed. They have been dealing with relentless pressure. I think our healthcare workforce during Covid-19 have been the very best of us. “No sooner had we a reprieve from Covid-19, than we had record attendances at emergency departments, we have a lot of people with deferred care …

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Donnelly refutes cover-up claim ahead of his UHL visit

HEALTH Minister Stephen Donnelly has refuted claims that a “clean up operation” was carried out in University Hospital Limerick (UHL) to present a better picture for him before his hospital visit last week, writes Dan Danaher. Speaking in the Dáil on Thursday, February 17, Sinn Féin Senator Paul Garvan highlighted a “shocking” issue at UHL concerning the minister’s visit to the hospital. “I had people reach out to me from the hospital yesterday to tell me what was happening ahead of his visit. Trolleys have been moved out to other wards in the hospital, as well as to step-down hospitals. “One person told me that there were more private ambulances there yesterday than they had seen in a long time. They were to get patients out, ahead of the visit. “Unfortunately for hospital management, and in fairness to the Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, he called in unexpectedly yesterday (Wednesday) evening. “The response to that was to hide patients in the …

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Calls for investigation after five-hour wait for ambulance

A CALL has been made for an official investigation into the five-hour delay for the arrival of an ambulance in Tulla on Tuesday, despite three phone calls from a local general practitioner. Senator Timmy Dooley made the call for an inquiry into the circumstances that led to this shocking time for medical intervention. The Fianna Fail Senator has contacted Health Minister Stephen Donnelly to seek an urgent review of this case, and the entire provision of ambulance services in the Mid-West. “I am absolutely shocked to hear someone would be left in a doctor’s surgery waiting for an ambulance for more than five hours. It beggars belief. “This issue needs to be thoroughly investigated. My suspicious is it is as a result of an ambulance service that is over stretched and under resourced. “While recognising ambulance services were reconfigured, that was dependant on an efficient use of our ambulance service. Ambulance cover was increased a few years ago and the …

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