Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator for raising this matter concerning the minor injuries unit at Monaghan Hospital. I welcome the opportunity to update the House on this important service. As the Senator has said, the unit assists thousands of people every year, which is great to see.

Monaghan Hospital operates as a single hospital with Cavan General Hospital. Together they share an integrated managerial and clinical governance system, as well as integrated patient care pathways and support functions. This integrated framework provides a stronger role for smaller hospitals, such as Monaghan Hospital, in delivering a higher volume of less complex care which is often closer to a patient's home. It also ensures that patients who require emergency or complex planned care are managed safely in a larger hospital environment.

The emergency department is located at Cavan General Hospital. It provides 24-hour emergency critical care to adults and children. Facilities at Monaghan Hospital focus on elective care and the appropriate streaming of patients to the minor injuries unit. As well as the unit, other services provided at Monaghan Hospital include day services, theatre, diagnostic services, ambulatory care and a wide range of outpatient services.

Minor injuries services, such as those at Monaghan, are specifically designed for the treatment of broken bones, dislocations, minor burns and other injuries that are unlikely to need admission to hospital. In cases where an injury is more serious than originally thought, the patient is transferred to the hub emergency department linked to the clinic for further assessment and treatment.

The opening hours for the minor injuries unit at Monaghan Hospital is within the overall framework for the delivery of care, as part of the integrated operations and governance system for Cavan and Monaghan hospitals. The opening hours for the unit is a matter for the HSE and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, RCSI, Hospitals Group. However, the Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, who could not take this debate today so asked me to take it for him, has assured me that he is willing to engage with the HSE and the hospital group on any request for additional opening hours. I see that as a positive. The Minister is willing to work and engage with the Senator and others.

Last year, we saw a number of new initiatives at Monaghan Hospital, including 18 new step-down beds, a second endoscopy room, centralisation of haemochromatosis services for patients in the Cavan-Monaghan hospital catchment area and the provision of a third ultrasound room. Since 2019, bed capacity at Monaghan Hospital has increased from 31 to 54 beds. Over the last ten years, the minor injuries unit has treated thousands of patients each year, with over 4,200 attendances in 2020 and nearly 5,400 in 2021.

The minor injuries unit at Monaghan Hospital plays a vital role in providing valuable services to the local community. It helps to alleviate the pressures on emergency departments.