Health Minister must do more for people of Mid-West – Conway

The HSE Winter Plan announced by Health Minister Stephen Donnelly must be more ambitious in delivering for the people of the Mid-West, a Fine Gael Senator has said.

The winter health plan includes six initiatives for the University of Limerick Hospital Group (ULHG) and Community Health Organisation (CHO) 3 for people in Clare, Limerick and North Tipperary.

Fine Gael Seanad Spokesperson on Health, Senator Martin Conway, said, “Minister Donnelly must do more for the Mid-West.

“We all know about the difficulties in accessing timely health services in this region. It is an ongoing battle. While the Winter Health Plan has good initiatives for the Mid-West, they must happen in a speedy manner. Time is of the essence here.

“Under the plan, funding of €1.73 million will be provided and whilst this is vital to tackle longstanding issues such as overcrowding, we must not underestimate the level of progress that needs to be made.

“University Hospital Limerick (UHL) suffers from some of the worst overcrowding in the country and it was crucial to see this acknowledged within the plan.

“It outlined four additional beds will be funded in Milford Hospice to facilitate early discharge from UHL.

“Some other initiatives for ULHG/CHO3 include ring fenced diagnostics to facilitate rapid discharge, nursing supports to target weekend discharge, and a Medical Manpower Manager for older persons and chronic disease to drive and manage staffing.

“The rapid and effective implantation of these measures must be prioritised by Minister Donnelly. It is essential that we monitor how these initiatives unfold to ensure any logistical issues do not stand in the way.

“In Budget 2023, Fine Gael is committed to putting more money back in people’s pockets to ensure that our economy stays strong so that we can continue to invest in vital public services,” concluded Senator Conway.