OPERATIONAL HOURS of Ennis Hospital’s medical assessment unit (MAU) will remain extended into the future following the confirmation of a multi-million euro funding package for UL Hospitals Group.
An allocation of €5.2m has been approved by the HSE’s National Acutes Division to allow the MAUs in St John’s and Nenagh be operational for seven days of the week from this weekend. The funding will enable Ennis’ MAU continue to operate every day of the week. The Ennis MAU is currently open from 8am to 8pm each day.
Recruitment has been ongoing for an additional 51.45 WTE across a number of specialties for the MAU services, including medical doctors, nurses, allied health professionals, health and social care professionals and administrative staff.
MAUs are not a walk-in service, referrals to the service are via GPs. The extended opening hours, with all three units open seven days a week, will create an additional total of 7,176 patient slots per annum across the three sites, significantly enhancing the acute medical healthcare referral alternatives available to GPs over the weekends.
Dr Bruce O’Donnell of River Walk Medical Centre in Ennis welcomed the announcement. “General Practitioners in the Mid-West are delighted at this announcement to increase services and availability at the Medical Assessment Units across the region. The MAUs provide a valuable, vital and timely service to GPs and patients, and have done for many years”.
He added, “The Trojan efforts of all staff involved in delivering this service, including clinicians, nurses, support staff and the staff in the Bed Bureau, has been a lifeline to General Practice in the management of complex cases during turbulent times in the health service over the past number of years. This move will have a very positive impact for all stakeholders in the Midwest and help alleviate the pressures on our colleagues in the Emergency Department and UHL”.
In 2022, more than 12,737 patients were referred to the MAUs in the three hospitals, which have played an integral role in ED avoidance, patient flow to Model 2 hospitals, and appropriate community referrals.
CEO of UL Hospitals Group Prof Colette Cowan praised the support of new HSE Chief Executive, Bernard Gloster, for supporting the funding application. “Weekend opening of all three MAUs will greatly assist hospital management and our GP colleagues to avoid unnecessary attendances at ED and admission to UHL. The regional’s main acute hospital, serving the population of Limerick, Clare and North Tipperary, continues to experience an exceptionally high level of demand for emergency care and inpatient beds at present. In that context, the €5.2m investment will greatly enhance an already invaluable service for UL Hospitals Group”.
