Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Government is committed to improving access to acute services in the Midwest region.

I have provided significant investment to increase capacity and staffing in the region.

Total staffing increased at University Hospital Limerick (UHL) by over 37% since December 2019. Numbers increased from 2,814 to 3,854 by end of November 2023. This represents 146 more doctors, 45 more consultants, 348 more nurses and midwives, and an increase of 84 more health and social care professionals.

Since 2019 the budget for this hospital increased by 45%,from €265 million in 2019 to €383 million last year.

We are also investing in additional bed capacity in the Midwest. 150 additional beds have been opened in the Hospital Group since 2020. 98 of these new beds are in UHL. We are building two new 96-bed inpatient blocks.

Within the region, there are two Model 2 Hospitals, Ennis and Nenagh Hospitals. St John's Hospital is classified as a Model 2S Hospital, i.e. St. John's can carry out intermediate surgery, which requires in-patient stay and accommodation in addition to day case surgery. These hospitals play a pivotal role in the delivery of high-quality patient care within the region. The Model 2 hospitals accept transfers of appropriate patients from UHL on a daily basis. These patients can either be stepped down from an inpatient ward in UHL or they may, where a clinician has decided it is appropriate, transfer to Ennis, Nenagh or St John's directly from the Emergency Department (ED) in UHL.

Funding of €5.2m was allocated this year to the Medical Assessment Units (MAUs) in the three Model 2 hospitals within the UL Hospital Group. As a result, these MAUs are now operating 12 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The introduction of the MAU pathway development in the Mid-West region for 112/999 patients commenced on January 9th 2023. It allows patients that meet the agreed clinical criteria to be treated in a Model 2 hospital. This pathway will result in patients receiving medical treatment in a hospital closer to their home, will reduce patient presentations to EDs and will release ambulances more quickly to respond to other emergency calls. 112/999 patients that do not meet these clinical criteria will continue to be transported to EDs for assessment and treatment.

These targeted developments will reduce demand on the ED at UHL. They are improving access to health care across the region.

I will continue working with the HSE to improve our overall health system.