Green Light expected for €3.5 million Nenagh Surgical Theatre

21st February 2012

I am pleased to announce that two new surgical suites for Nenagh General Hospital are now nearing the final stages and are due to be approved by the Department of Health in the coming weeks.

As part of my agreed overall plan with the last Government in respect of Nenagh Hospital we are now ready for the Department of Health to sign off on the two new surgical suites for the hospital. I insisted that these operating theatres were essential for the future of the Hospital as the suites in place are antiquated and lacking in modern technologies. As a result this project was included in the HSE National Plan. During her visit to the hospital in November of 2010 to open the endoscopy suite, Mary Harney, the Minister of Health at the time announced that the two surgical suites could proceed to design and planning at an estimated cost at €3.5 million.

Since then the surgical suites have been progressed to the final stage. All consultations have taken place, theatre designs have been completed and tenders for the works have been accepted. We are now awaiting Departmental approval to allow the construction works to commence. A decision to proceed to construction is expected in the coming weeks.

These new operating theatres will be a further boost for Nenagh Hospital and will again further its development as a centre of excellence for healthcare in the Mid-West. I believe that these units will again advance the case of the hospital and secure its future as it continues to grow and expand.

The large investment package for Nenagh General Hospital which I advanced in return for supporting the last Government has been of huge benefit to the Hospital. As the benefit of this investment becomes evident, the future of the Hospital is secure based on the huge success of these facilitates, in particular the state of the art endoscopy suite that was developed on site. This top class facility and the other substantial interventions and investment in Nenagh Hospital have greatly increased the throughput of the Hospital.

During the period of the last Government I secured in excess of €4 million in funding for Nenagh General Hospital. The progression of the surgical suites to the final stage marks the culmination of this investment, the benefits of which are now being reaped by the Hospital and the community.

During that Government I fought for and secured a large investment package for Nenagh General Hospital which was essential to upgrade the services available there. This investment included over €2 million for a state of the art endoscopy suite, a new sterile services department, two new lifts. All of these facilities have become fully operational with huge success.

The construction of a two-room endoscopy suite attached to the hospital was announced by myself in 2009.  This project has facilitated the development of endoscopy services on site which has enhanced the delivery of gastroenterological diagnostics at the hospital and for the region. The completion of the endoscopy suite has set Nenagh apart as an expert facility.

After speaking to Management of the HSE Mid-West, I have been informed that the new services and in particular the endoscopy suite have been of huge benefit in furthering the development and growth of Nenagh Hospital. In the past year the throughput at Nenagh Hospital and those availing of its services has increased by 40%. This is as a direct result of the endoscopy suite which greatly increases patient numbers through the hospital. The success of this suite and the improved services in the hospital have now secured the future of the hospital based on the activity created. I would like to commend the management and staff of the hospital for their hard work and determination. The efficient management and operating of these new facilities is an essential factor in their success and is a tribute to their professionalism