Lowry Welcomes Unprecedented Investment in South Tipperary General Hospital

Tremendous news for South Tipperary General Hospital following confirmation from Deputy Michael Lowry that the Hospital is included in the Capital Investment Plan. The Hospital is now earmarked for a substantial €50 Million infrastructural investment plan.

Deputy Michael Lowry has today confirmed what he called the biggest ever investment in a Tipperary Health Care project:
“This is ground-breaking fantastic news for South Tipperary General Hospital. I’m absolutely delighted for the Management and Staff of the Hospital and for the people of Tipperary. Since the last general election when North and South Tipperary were combined into one constituency, I made
a promise to the people of Tipperary that the investment and development of South Tipperary General Hospital was my number one priority. Originally I made the case for the much need 12 bed overflow unit to be funded and I am pleased that this is now open and in operation. Next was the provision of a 40 bed modular unit to alleviate the chronic overcrowding at the Hospital, I can confirm that the modular unit has now been designed, the preferred contractor has now been chosen and contracts are ready to be signed, funding of €16m is in place and the order for supply is ready to be placed. It is intended to have this state of the art unit functional for November 2018.”

Deputy Lowry continued:
“Over the past year I have personally made a strong case that South Tipperary General Hospital needed to be included in the Capital Investment Plan. I had extensive on going discussions with Hospital Management, Ministers Simon Harris, Paschal Donohoe and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, I am
thrilled to confirm that our efforts have been met with resounding success. The Hospital is one of the priority projects in the plan which will be initiated and concluded. I can also confirm that as part of the Capital Investment Plan for South Tipperary General Hospital the Hospital will receive €3.2m for the provision of a new Outpatient Clinic. I can also confirm that under the Capital Plan design work will be advanced for the construction of a new 50 bed unit with estimated costs of over €24
million. Overall the total investment in South Tipperary General Hospital in the short term will be a minimum of €50m.”

Deputy Lowry concluded:
“The staff and everyone involved at the Hospital in Clonmel have shown remarkable patience and resilience. They have kept the Hospital going during very difficult times and circumstances. We are now witnessing an amazing turnaround in the fortunes of South Tipperary General Hospital. It was only a short time ago since the Hospital was listed for downgrading, we have now turned the corner and there is fantastic confidence in the Hospitals future and a good atmosphere prevailing. There is
huge credit due to the Management and Staff and I am delighted that after years of being ignored and neglected South Tipperary General Hospital is now the focus of attention by the HSE, by the Department of Health and the Government I’m pleased that the multi million euro investment that
was required is now available.”

Welcoming today’s announcement Professor Paud O’Regan affirmed:
“This is one of the most important days in the history of the health services in Tipperary and certainly the most important in the history of South Tipperary General Hospital. The announcement of the much-needed development on the hospital campus with some of it being in place before the end of this year and then with the immediate development of a new 50 bed unit is magnificent news for us the staff of the hospital and for all the people of the County who are served by the hospital.
When completed it will provide a wonderful facility, with greatly improved standards of work in the Hospital. I would also like to express my personal gratitude to Deputy Michael Lowry for advancing the project from what was a standstill to what is now at a very advanced stage of development,
everyone is extremely grateful for all the work he has done.”

Professor Peter Murchan, Consultant and General Colorectal Surgeon also warmly welcome today’s news:
“The announcement today that South Tipperary General Hospital is to be included as part of the National Development Programme, can only be described as a ‘game changer’ development for health services in the county. The multi-million funding which will finally secure the future of our hospital, which for years has struggled under the weight of both gross underinvestment and inadequate financial budgeting which resulted in future concerns over its actual viability. The excellent management teams of this hospital and the South\Southwest regional group however have been planning a new 50 bed (minimum) multiple ward block to include vital units such as new Coronary care unit, High Dependency Unit, an additional surgical day- ward, among many other developments. Accident & Emergency, General Surgical, Maternity, Gynaecological, Paediatric, Oncology, Acute Medicine and in particular medicine for the elderly services will now be enhanced
significantly as a direct result of this major capital building programme which was always needed but until recently, was completely stalled. It is also envisaged that the building programme will also allow development of additional services not currently available in the hospital.

It has been apparent to everybody in the county, that hospital bed capacity and therefore service delivery, has been seriously hampered particularly in past 5 years such is the demand for services. The local & regional management teams have recently delivered a new 12- Bay overflow ward to
help alleviate casualty and more recently a 40 bed ‘modular’ unit on which, construction work will commence shortly and will have this project delivered within next 12 months, possibly earlier.

In May 2016, Professor Paud O’Regan and I, on behalf of the medical board in the hospital, approached Deputy Michael Lowry to assist us in negotiating with the relevant Ministers in the current Government to commit the necessary funding to ensure this urgent expansion to help alleviate the massive overcrowding of our busy unit in the short term. Through his direct
involvement we were able to secure the necessary ministerial approval for funding for the modular unit but more importantly then helped us hugely to navigate the plans for funding of this Phase II development, directly to Government. There are many people to thank for this development but I
am extremely thankful for Deputy Lowry’s massive input with this major project because without his intercession, I do not believe that this approval would have happened”

Maria Barry General Manager of South Tipperary General Hospital:
“I absolutely welcome this news in relation to the Capital Investment Plan and the future development of South Tipperary General Hospital and the effort put into this, it will most definitely advance the service we can deliver to our patents and staff alike.”