Minister for Gaeltacht Affairs and Natural Resources and Fine Gael TD for Galway West and Mayo South, Seán Kyne has welcomed confirmation from the Minister for Health Simon Harris that a new Emergency Department for UHG is being designed and that funding for its construction will be prioritised as part of the mid-term review of the Capital Plan which will take place this summer.
Minister Kyne was accompanying Minister Harris on a visit to UHG where the Minister visited the existing Emergency Department and met with senior managers and clinicians of the Saolta Group.
Commented Minister of State Kyne: “Today on his visit to UHG, which is part of a series of visits to hospitals nationwide, Minister Harris saw first-hand the urgent need for a new Emergency Department at UHG. UHG is one of the busiest acute and critical care hospitals in the country accounting for over 40% of all national air ambulance activity and receiving over 62,000 visits to the ED each year.
“In line with the Programme for Government commitment, funding for the construction of the new Emergency Department is on the agenda for the mid-term review of the Capital Plan and will be provided this year.
“However, the construction of a new ED will take time – planning permission, for example, will take four months approximately – which means it is vital that the Saolta Group and UHG management design and implement measures in the short term to improve patient experience and reduce waiting times.
“On his visit to UHG Minister Harris learnt of some of the measures being put in place by management on the advice of Special Delivery Unit which visited UHG in December. These include:
- Introduction of six extra home care packages per week for UHG as part of the Winter Initiative
- A net increase of 16 new hospital beds as part of the phased opening of the new ward block for which recruitment is ongoing
- Prioritisation of MRI scanning with outsourcing of the use of five MRI high priority scans from Monday to Friday to free up capacity for in-patients
- Fast-tracking of children and young people to an Advanced Nurse Practitioner Unit
- Introduction of extra transitional care beds at Merlin Park for patients awaiting completion of nursing home applications
- Increase in ED staffing to current level of 54 nursing staff
“Other measures that are making a real difference at UHG include the Acute Medical Unit, which incorporates a Short Stay Ward and the Elective Surgical Ward both of which opened in the last twelve months. In addition, 18 Advanced Nurse Practitioners are working across Galway University Hospitals, six of whom are working in the ED and treating in excess of 9,000 patients per year.
“The Saolta Hospital Group has also outlined significant plans for Merlin Park hospital whereby services and facilities would complement the acute hospital services and facilities at UHG.
“A new Emergency Department, built to same high specification standard of the 75 bed ward block, will make a world of difference to the patients and the hard-working staff at UHG. Working with my colleague, Minister Simon Harris, I will ensure that the ED is a priority and that construction starts as soon as possible.