TD urges more use of Nenagh Hospital's facilities

The Fianna Fáil TD for Tipperary, Jackie Cahill has welcomed the recent decision of the HSE to further utilise the Medical Assessment Unit in Ennis Hospital in order to ease some of the pressures currently being experienced in University Hospital Limerick.

This decision will see the MAU taking patients from 112/999 calls directly, provided they meet certain clinical criteria, and will divert patients who do not need to attend the A&E in UHL.

Deputy Cahill said: “I welcome this common sense decision by the HSE to make better use of the model 2 hospital in Ennis, which in my view proves that there is a role for the smaller regional hospitals to play within the Mid-West healthcare system.

“This is a positive step in the right direction which proves, in my view, that further use can and must be made of Nenagh Hospital. I am in contact with Minister Donnelly to push for the MAU in Nenagh to follow the example of Ennis MAU.

“Local people would much prefer to be treated in Nenagh rather than having to travel into the chaos of UHL, when it is clinically safe to do so. Opening up the Ennis MAU is proving that this is now possible in Nenagh also.

“I am also pushing the minister to extend the opening hours of Nenagh Hospital to facilitate this, and I firmly believe that a full suite of measures must be included in this, including a fully function ICU and enhanced staffing levels to serve the local community.

“I will continue to speak with Minister Donnelly on this matter, so that we might see Nenagh Hospital being fully utilised for the benefit of our local communities."