WRH services maintained and enhanced under hospital restructuring plan- Cummins

Fine Gael Waterford Senator, Maurice Cummins, has said the fact that Waterford Regional Hospital (WRH) is to retain its current suite of cardiology, trauma and oncology services under the Report on the Establishment of Hospital Groups and the Small Hospital Framework, which has been approved by Cabinet this afternoon (Tuesday), signals a bright future for the hospital in the years ahead.

“Waterford Regional Hospital will retain its current suite of invasive cardiology, as well as its trauma and oncology services under the new plan which will see hospitals across the country grouped together in a bid to deliver enhanced services and help smaller hospitals to meet their full potential. This was the bottom line where WRH was concerned and not alone have these services been retained but a number of services are to be enhanced in many areas in the future. Among these are:

• Increased cardiology services: Cardiology cover will go from a 9am to 5pm service to a 24 hour, 7 day a week service;
• Increased cancer services: WRH will continue to be a National Cancer Control Programme Centre, retaining its current population referral base for cancer patients;
• University status: As a major teaching hospital, Waterford University Hospital will benefit in terms of research, education and professional development;
• Increased consultant services: WRH is set to gain a considerable number of new and replacement consultant posts in areas such as emergency medicine, dermatology and acute medicine;
• Increased A&E service: The new A&E unit will double the amount of treatment spaces available andthe existing 18 bed neo-natal unit will be replaced by a 25 bed state-of-the-art unit.

“I believe that the campaign to retain services in our hospital has succeeded and we can look forward a bright and vibrant future for Waterford University Hospital. I commend the Minister for Health, Dr. James Reilly TD, and Prof. John Higgins on what purports to be the most radical restructuring of the Irish healthcare service in the history of the State.”

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