Ambulances could bring patients directly to Nenagh and St John's hospitals

Day surgery at Ennis, Nenagh (pictured), and St John’s hospitals remains cancelled for the remainder of this week.

New ambulance arrangements put in place for Ennis Hospital could also be rolled out to Nenagh and St John’s hospitals, the CEO of the UL Hospital Group has said.

Under a newly agreed protocol, some people who call 999/112 can be brought to Ennis instead of University Hospital Limerick.

Professor Colette Cowan said: “We are pleased with the progress of this initiative in its initial days”, and the programme is under evaluation.

However, we have every expectation of success for this new pathway, with a view to continuing the service in Ennis Medical Assessment Unit and, with the agreement of NAS and the HSE, expanding it to our medical assessment units in Nenagh and St John’s Hospitals,” she said.

Some six patients were brought to Ennis in the first two days.

Ennis Hospital. Photograph: Press 22

A pilot programme between Mallow and Cork University Hospitals saw 29 patients benefit over three months. Roscommon and Galway University Hospitals will operate a similar system from Monday.

In an update for politicians in the Mid-West today, Prof Cowan also said the major internal incident declared on January 2 has been stood down, but all hospitals in the group are still running above capacity.

“Day surgery at Ennis, Nenagh, and St John’s hospitals remains cancelled for the remainder of this week, as the day wards in these hospitals have been designated as surge capacity for unwell medical patients,” she said.

“Reductions in elective surgery at UHL and at Croom Orthopaedic Hospital also remain in force.” 

Medical patients continue to be transferred to Croom.

The MAUs at St John’s and Nenagh hospitals now operate seven days a week, on a temporary basis. Ennis was already doing this.

Nenagh Independent councillor and Regional Health Forum West member Seamus Morris said: “UHL management were forced into doing the logical thing of relaxing the ambulance bypass protocols by the near collapse of emergency services in the Mid-West over the Christmas."