Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I move:

“That Seanad Éireann:

acknowledges: - the unprecedented level of spending on health in 2023; more than €24bn has been committed to our health services nationally;

- that total health expenditure has been increasing steadily over the last decade;

- the significant investment in the UL Hospitals Group;

- a number of capital projects have been completed at UL Hospitals Group since 2020; in total, the UL Hospitals Group has received €94.81m in National Development Plan funding for the completion of these projects, namely:

- Croom Orthopaedic Hospital:

- new rapid build ward – Covid-19 National Action Plan: provision of 24 bed Rapid Build Ward (all single rooms) as part of the Covid National Action Plan; longer-term, these beds will address the bed capacity deficit in the mid-west, including the future provision of a Theatre Department where construction was completed in 2020: an investment of €20.66m by the State;

- Orthopaedic Surgical Unit Development: a Theatre and CSSD fit-out including a link to St. Anne’s Ward and lifts (excludes refurbishment of St. Anne’s Ward) under the Pandemic Plan, with construction completed in 2021; an investment of €14.69m by the State;

- Ennis General Hospital:

- Outpatient Department (OPD) equipping: the equipping of new OPD, including provision of X-Ray Room and other diagnostics where the main construction was completed in 2021 and the X-ray project completed in 2022; an investment of €1.29m by the State;

- Redevelopment (Phase 1b): Phase 1b of the redevelopment of Ennis General Hospital consisting of the fit-out of vacated areas in the existing building to a Local Injuries Unit where construction was completed in 2022; an investment of €2m by the State;

- Limerick University Hospital (UHL):

- reconfiguration of vacated Emergency Department (ED): reconfiguration of recently vacated ED to create a Medical Short-Stay Unit where construction was completed in 2020; an investment of €3.86m by the State;

- New Ward Block: the provision of a 60 bed ward block where construction was completed in 2020; an investment of €21.67m by the State;

- Modular New Build Thrombosis and Coagulation/Medical Social Work Department/Speech and Language/Occupational Therapy: modular new build to accommodate Thrombosis and Coagulation / Medical Social Work Department and Speech and Language / Occupational Therapy; a reconfigured 14 bed High Dependency Unit – Covid-19, the construction of which was completed in 2020; an investment of €4.61m by the State;

- New Rapid Build Ward – Covid-19 National Action Plan: provision of 24 bed Rapid Build Ward (all single rooms) as part of the Covid-19 National Action Plan, including longer-term beds to address the bed capacity deficit in the mid-west, the construction of which was completed in 2020; an investment of €12.77m by the State;

- new Modular Covid-19 laboratory: construction of a new modular Covid-19 laboratory to manage testing, the equipment and the team are currently housed in the Clinical Education and Research Centre building which needs to return to education within the Pandemic Plan, with construction completed in 2021; an investment of €4.05m by the State;

- Lift Replacement Programme: lift replacement (4 Lifts), the construction of which was completed in 2022; an investment of €1.11m by the State;

- Nenagh Mid-Western Regional Hospital:

- Ward Block extension and refurbishment programme: to ensure compliance with HIQA standards, includes 16 single rooms and 4 double rooms, where phase 1 was completed in 2018 and phases 2 and 3 were completed in 2020; part-funded by the Friends of Nenagh Hospital by €0.64m and an investment of €7.07m by the State;

- Accident and Emergency Department (A&E): completion of a new A&E Department in 2017; an investment of €24m by the State;

- additional 96 Bed Block: currently under construction 96 single ensuite rooms with associated access links overhead to the existing renal dialysis and EDs as an extension to the existing hospital facilities at UHL; an investment of €93.42m by the State;

- other incidental works within the UL Hospitals Group include:

- Neonatal upgrade works at University Maternity Hospital Limerick (UMHL); an investment of €5.41m by the State;

- fire alarm and emergency lighting upgrade works; an investment of €8.10m by the State;

- Blood Sciences Project in UHL; an investment of €4.27m by the State;

- Radiology Department upgrade works, including the provision of a second MRI at UMHL;

- Theatre Suite and CSSD redevelopment works at Ennis Hospital;

- redevelopment works to provide two replacement theatres and supporting facilities at Ennis Hospital;

- future works where commencement is imminent, including the relocation of UMHL;

further acknowledges: - the significant investments at Ennis General Hospital, Croom and Nenagh and the recent opening of several Primary Care Centres in the region;

- the serious difficulties experienced over the last couple of months in the UHL ED;

- that this problem has existed over several years; welcomes: - the apology from the CEO and management for the stress caused to patients, their families, and staff at the hospital;

- the new protocols at Ennis General Hospital designed to alleviate pressure at UHL ED; and calls on the Government, following on from a recent meeting with Oireachtas Members representing the mid-west region, and UHL CEO and Senior Management: - to extend the protocols in existence at Ennis to St. John’s and Nenagh to further alleviate the pressure at UHL ED and to fast-track the proposed second and third 96 bed blocks to address capacity issues;

- to revisit the decision not to provide an elective hospital in the mid-west region;

- to accelerate the start date of the new surgical clinic proposed for Limerick City;

- to explore the possibility of relocating Shannon Doc at the UHL campus to help assist non-referral presentations at the ED.”

I will be sharing time with my colleague with my colleague Senator Maria Byrne.