Day surgeries cancelled at Ennis Hospital
Again, surgeries cancelled in Ennis. Again, A+E in UHL dangerously overcrowded. When will this government ensure Ennis is resourced and utilised to alleviate pressure on Limerick?, I asked the Taoiseach.
Hospital Overcrowding
97 on trolleys today at UHL in the middle of summer but the government offers no new solution when I raised issue with the Tánaiste today.
Cataract Treatment Waiting List Doubles In Clare
Independent TD Michael McNamara says urgent investment in ophthalmology services in the Mid-West is required to address the growing waiting list for cataract procedures in County Clare.
Read MoreParamedic graduates
At a time of immense pressure on its services, the National Ambulance Service needs to re-examine how it can utilise Paramedic Studies graduates of the University of Limerick.
National Ambulance Service response times
When I recently asked the Minister for Health the number of occasions where ambulances arrived at scenes where the patient had already died, I was told that such statistics are not collated. The deterioration in the National Ambulance Service is clear from the statistics we do have.
Lockdown Decisions
It is clear now that some of the measures adopted in response to COVID were unnecessary, some were ridiculous, some were inhumane, some had a long-lasting negative impact that outweighed any benefit, and it was clear at the time.
Ennis Hospital
The Taoiseach agreed with me that capacity at Ennis Hospital has to be increased as part of the solution to overcrowding at UHL. Plans drawn up a decade ago for a new block at the back of Ennis need to be resurrected.
No new acute beds for Mid-West hospitals in 2023
No new acute beds will be opened in the Mid-West Region in 2023, according to figures released to Independent Clare TD Michael McNamara.
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HSE figures highlight “chronic underinvestment” in Mid West
Only 7 WTE (Fulltime /Whole-time Equivalent) healthcare professional positions in Acute Services were created at University Hospital Limerick (UHL) during 2022 despite UHL being the most overcrowded hospital in the country last year.
Read MoreEnnis Hospital theatres
Despite Minister Donnelly’s claim that 1,000 new posts have been created at University Hospital Limerick since March 2020, two recently upgraded theatres in Ennis Hospital have remained closed since before Christmas.
Expansion of services planned for Chronic Disease Hub in Ennis
Independent Clare TD Michael McNamara says he has received confirmation from the HSE that new positions in the areas of cardiology, physiotherapy, respiratory and diabetes are at advance stage of recruitment for the Clare Chronic Disease Hub and that a significant expansion of services at the Ennis-based facility is planned over the coming months.
Read MoreTheatres at Ennis Hospital
I asked why two recently upgraded theatres at Ennis Hospital are currently not being used when there is significant waiting lists for procedures in the Mid West.
CAHMS
The absence of IT systems and structures in the HSE and across the entire health service, including CAMHS, is a major blockage to its improvement and efficient functioning and needs to be addressed urgently.
Health service in the Mid West
I spoke about the healthcare crisis in the Mid West on The Tonight Show.
Ennis Hospital
The Taoiseach has admitted additional resources are required for Ennis Hospital. I will continue to pursue the Government to deliver.
Resourcing the Midwest health system
I attended a positive meeting about UHL yesterday with UL Hospitals Group management, the Health Minister, Taoiseach and fellow Oireachtas Midwest representatives. At long last, there was an acknowledgment that the Midwest hospital system is under-resourced compared to other regions of the State and that the Model 2 Hospitals, such as Ennis and Nenagh, are underutilised.
Ennis Hospital
I spoke on RTÉ Drivetime about the need to adequately resource Ennis Hospital in light of the HSE decision to sanction ambulance paramedics to bring patients directly to the facility’s medical assessment unit.
Overcrowding at UHL
Micheál Martin and his government failed the people of the Midwest by refusing to tackle the mounting problems at UHL. Leo Varadkar must now intervene.
I was shocked that the only proposal from the Government representative on today’s show was to call for mandatory face masks and “other restrictions”, and to call for young doctors and nurses to be forced to work in a chronically mismanaged health system.
McNamara highlights Ennis radiography service concerns with HSE
Independent Clare TD Michael McNamara says he has received assurances from the UL Hospitals Group that the radiography service at Ennis Hospital will continue to operate at full capacity, despite almost half of the approved radiographer positions for the Clare facility remaining unfilled.
Read MoreIncrease in attendances at Ennis MAU
The number of attendances at the Medical Assessment Unit (MAU) in Ennis Hospital increased by 52% in the two years to 2021 with a further 8% increase recorded during the first five months of this year, according to figures released by the HSE in response to a Parliamentary Question from Clare Independent TD Michael McNamara.
Read MoreUHL and Leo Varadkar as Taoiseach
The Tánaiste today accepted that UHL will require increased bed capacity and greater involvement from government to address the overcrowding crisis.
HIQA report into UHL overcrowding
The HIQA report into overcrowding at University Hospital Limerick points to completely inadequate capacity in the Midwest and a failure to manage existing capacity.
Independent Clare TD Michael McNamara has called on the Government to publish the terms of reference for an expert team that is being deployed by the HSE to review the issues surrounding chronic overcrowding at University Hospital Limerick (UHL).
UHL overcrowding
I raised the issue of ongoing overcrowding at University of Limerick with Taoiseach Micheál Martin today.
NEWSTALK – UHL Overcrowding
I spoke to Newstalk this evening about University Hospital Limerick, the most consistently overcrowded hospital in the country, and the need to develop a strategy to deliver an acceptable level of health services in the Midwest now and in the immediate future.
€9.95m Approved For Theatre Upgrade At Ennis Hospital
Clare Independent TD Michael McNamara has received confirmation from the HSE that a €9.95m capital budget allocation has been approved for a theatre upgrade at Ennis Hospital and that the project has already progressed to design stage.
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New Chronic Disease specialist roles to be created in Midwest
Clare Independent TD Michael McNamara has received confirmation from the HSE that a number of additional Clinical and Diagnostic Chronic Disease posts are being recruited for the Midwest region through the University Hospital Limerick Group.
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Chronic Disease Team to be established in Clare
Clare Independent TD Michael McNamara has received confirmation from the HSE that a new Chronic Disease Management Hub delivering services to patients with cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease and Type II Diabetes is being rolled out in County Clare.
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June opening date for Raheen Community Hospital extension
Independent Clare T.D. Michael McNamara says he has received confirmation from the HSE that the new ward extension at Raheen Community Hospital in East Clare will be fully operational by the end of June.
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No new hospital beds for Midwest in 2022
No new acute, sub-acute or ICU beds will be opened in the Midwest in 2022, according to HSE figures released to Independent Clare TD Michael McNamara.
Read MoreCLARE FM – Hospital overcrowding in Mid West
HIQA is to undertake inspections of the ED at University Hospital Limerick and work with hospital management to develop a strategic plan to address capacity issues. It’s important the plan has a wider scope than the approach taken up to now.
Strategic plan to deal with UHL overcrowding
Independent Clare TD Michael McNamara has received confirmation that HIQA is to undertake inspections of the Emergency Department at University Hospital Limerick (UHL) and work with hospital management to develop a strategic plan to address capacity issues at the Mid-West facility.
Read MoreNew plan to reduce waiting times for children with scoliosis
Independent Clare TD Michael McNamara has expressed his support a plan announced to reduce treatment waiting times for children with scoliosis and spina bifida which he described as “long-overdue”.
Read MoreLIVE 95 & CLARE ECHO – UHL overcrowding
I spoke to Live 95FM about ongoing overcrowding at UHL, which is consistently the most overcrowded hospital in the State.
HIQA Investigates UHL Overcrowding
Clare TD Michael McNamara has called on the HSE and government to publish the findings of a review by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) into the ongoing trolley crisis at University Hospital Limerick (UHL).
UHL overcrowding
Independent Clare TD Michael McNamara today called for an independent investigation into ongoing overcrowding at University Hospital Limerick (UHL), where a record 111 patients were on trolleys this morning.
Addressing Taoiseach Micheal Martin during Promised legislation in Dáil Éireann today, Deputy McNamara said the exponential growth in trolley numbers at UHL was unlikely to be halted by the introduction of additional beds alone and that consideration should be given to upgrading other hospitals within the UHL Group.
Responding to Deputy McNamara, the Taoiseach said he would request the Minister for Health and the HSE to review the Clare TD’s proposal around the causes of ongoing overcrowding.
Deputy McNamara commented, “There is no clear indication as to why UHL is consistently the most overcrowded hospital in the country. I don’t know whether it is how admissions and discharges are managed in the hospital or if Ennis, Nenagh or St. Johns need to be upgraded to Model 3 Hospitals. An investigation needs to be commissioned without delay.”
National Ambulance Service
Today I questioned Tanaiste Leo Varadkar about what is being done to increase capacity and response times in the National Ambulance Service. I raised the matter after an ambulance was sent 175km from a station in Connemara to a road traffic collision in Kilkee at the weekend.
Future restrictions and healthcare capacity
Speaking to Pat Kenny I again raised the issue of how little capacity has been increased in our healthcare system despite the billions spent on our pandemic response. Full interview here.
Additional staff and capacity for Medical Assessment Unit in Ennis
A further expansion of the Medical Assessment Unit (MAU) in Ennis Hospital is currently underway with a staff recruitment process ongoing, according to Deputy Michael McNamara.
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New Raheen Community Hospital unit to open by mid-2022
Clare Independent T.D. Michael McNamara has received confirmation from the HSE that the proposed new build ward extension at Raheen Community Hospital in East Clare will be fully operational during the second quarter of next year.
The Scariff-based TD said, “The first phase of the works commenced in March and involved the relocation of the existing plant and boiler house which was sited on the footprint of the new build. The HSE has informed me that these works have been completed and that work on the 420m2 extension to the new build is underway.”
“The project includes the provision of 7 long stay replacement beds as part of an extension which will reduce the density of beds in the long stay wards and address deficiencies identified by HIQA at the hospital,” added Deputy McNamara. “The equipping of the unit is currently being planned and the HSE estimates that the new unit will be equipped and operational by Quarter 2, 2022.
Deputy McNamara said the new unit “will be very much welcomed by the people of East Clare area.”
“When I was first elected as a TD in 2011, there was a proposal to close smaller community hospitals, such as Raheen. Upgrade works were undertaken during this period at Kilrush and Ennistymon community hospitals, but little progress was being made in Raheen. After a focus was brought to this vital community resource by the visit of the then junior ministers for health, Alex White and Kathleen Lynch, which I initiated, the HSE implemented substantial capital investment plans in the intervening years. I now look forward to the completion of the works currently underway,” explained Deputy McNamara.
NEWSTALK – Irish healthcare system
With waiting lists increasing and positions remaining unfilled across our healthcare system, we need to be told what are the impediments to reform that led the Chairperson and Executive Director of the Sláintecare Implementation Advisory Council to resign having concluded “that the requirements for implementing this unprecedented programme for change are seriously lacking”.
Continued expansion of Medical Assessment Unit in Ennis
A recruitment process for new staff and the expansion of the Medical Assessment Unit (MAU) in Ennis Hospital is underway, according to Michael McNamara, T.D.
Read MoreData on mental health in Ireland is inadequate
Data on mental health is inadequate. The HSE and Irish College of Psychiatrists need to explain why, given they receive taxpayers’ money to collect and collate it. Data on suicide is adequate because of the lack of a centralised coroners’ database, a shortcoming highlighted 20 years ago this month.
Business Case Submitted For Further Expansion Of Ennis Hospital Services
Clare Independent TD, Michael McNamara has received confirmation from the HSE that a business case has been submitted for further expansion of the level of services provided at Ennis Hospital.
Read MoreHospital Capacity in Mid West Region
Four months on from former Health Minister, Simon Harris, T.D., admitting that the Mid West has been failed for decades in terms of bed numbers, I sought an update from the HSE on hospital capacity in the region.
How many Health Ministers does it take to change a health service?
80 people on trolleys at University Hospital Limerick on a day when we learn that only 23 additional critical care beds have been delivered nationally since March and publication of the HSE Winter Plan is delayed for a further week. The State must step up, not just individual citizens.
HSE procurement and storage of PPE
The Finsa site in Scariff, Co. Clare, is being utilised by the HSE as a PPE storage facilty, one of two such large-scale storage facilities in the country. I spoke about this on Clare FM and also questioned the HSE’s Paul Reid on the procurement and storage of PPE during yesterday’s COVID-19 Committee meeting.
Lower hospital admissions and expanded role for Tier 2 Hospitals
I questioned the HSE today on the reasons for the low number of confirmed COVID cases in hospitals despite rising cases nationally. I also asked the HSE to outline its plans to ease overcrowding at University Hospital Limerick by expanding services at Tier 2 Hospitals such as Ennis, St Johns and Nenagh.
4-day turnaround for Covid-19 tests is insufficient
The COVID-19 Committee’s recommendation for a 24-hour turnaround for Covid-19 tests is nowhere near being meet by the HSE. Ireland cannot control the spread of this virus if our system of testing is insufficient.
Healthcare staffing during COVID-19 crisis
During today’s meeting of the Special Committee on Covid-19 Response, I questioned HSE officials on healthcare staffing levels during the COVID-19 crisis, citing concerns raised on social media by an Irish trainee GP.
Expansion of services at Ennis and Nenagh Hospitals
I received confirmation from the HSE today that it is considering proposals to expand the level of services delivered from Tier 2 hospitals such as Ennis and Nenagh during the coming months.
National Vaccination Programme
Based on evidence provided by the HSE and IMO at today’s COVID Committee, I am concerned that Ireland’s Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Programme will be not be expansive enough to sufficientely reduce overcrowding at our hospitals in light of any increase in COVID cases this winter.
Michael McNamara addressing HIQA, HSE and Nursing Homes Ireland
At the COVID-19 Dáil Committee sessions, I proposed to HIQA, HSE and Nursing Homes Ireland that there should be a requirement for a clinical lead to be appointed in respect of every nursing home in Ireland. Such a move would ensure a coordinated medical approach to the health of all residents in relevant facilities.
Chair of Dáil Éireann COVID-19 Committee
As Chair of the Special Committee on COVID19 Response, I spoke to Oireachtas TV about the work of the committee in the coming weeks. The Chief Medical Officer, Tony Holohan, and Head of the HSE, Paul Reid will appear before the Committee next week.