Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 9 November 2023
52. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Health the level of additional core expenditure for new developments, excluding funding for carryover and otherwise maintaining existing levels of service, which has been allocated to the Nenagh medical assessment unit for 2024 to increase capacity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49065/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Minister for Health, I am committed to the ongoing development of services in the Mid-West area, including at Nenagh Hospital.
Funding of €5.2m this year has enabled Medical Assessment Units (MAUs) at Nenagh, St John's and Ennis Hospitals to further extend their hours of operation. Nenagh MAU is now open to patients 7 days a week between 8am – 8pm.
Recruitment is underway for an additional 21 Whole Time Equivalent positions at the Nenagh MAU, across a range of specialties. This has so far included a clinical nurse manager, three staff nurses, a senior house officer, a cardiac physiologist, a senior radiographer, a physiotherapist, an occupational therapist and a number of support staff.
As more of these staff take up post, the number of additional slots available for medical assessment will increase. In 2022, 2,476 patients were referred to the Nenagh MAU. As of October this year, 3,287 patients had been seen by the MAU. Once all staff are in post, the overall effect of this investment will be the creation of an additional 7,176 slots per annum across Nenagh, St John's and Ennis Hospitals.
This investment is improving options available to GPs for referring acute patients over weekends. The Nenagh MAU is playing an integral role in Emergency Department avoidance and appropriate community referrals for patients. This can be seen through the significant increase in patient referrals on foot of the investment this year.
Following the announcement of the budget allocation for my Department, I will shortly be issuing a Letter of Determination to the HSE outlining my priorities and funding levels for 2024. This will be the basis on which the HSE will draw up its National Service Plan (NSP) for 2024. It is not until the conclusion of this process that a detailed breakdown of non-core expenditure will be available.
