Regional Hub for Women’s Health opens new clinic serving Limerick patients
The “see-and-treat” clinic is the latest service in the Ambulatory Gynaecological Unit
THE FIRST Colorectal Pelvic Floor Clinic has opened in the Mid-West Regional Hub for Women’s Health.
The clinic allows patients to access treatment locally for the first time, as well as significantly reducing the time between their first symptoms and their diagnosis and treatment.
Management and staff in Nenagh Hospital have been working with colleagues across UL Hospitals Group for the past eighteen months to progress the clinic, which is just one of the services being offered at the hospital’s Ambulatory Gynaecological Unit (AGU).
The Colorectal Pelvic Floor Clinic is the latest in a range of services that have been provided at the AGU since it opened in March 2022, including abnormal intrauterine bleeding, chronic pelvic pain, vulval issues, and sexual minority health.
These services are one-stop, “see-and-treat” gynaecology clinics where women can be assessed and treated following a GP referral. This healthcare model aims to improve access to diagnostics and treatment, resulting in fewer hospital visits and reducing overall wait times for women.
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Speaking at the end of the first clinic recently, Ms Christina Fleming, Consultant Colorectal Surgeon and Clinical Lead for the Colorectal Pelvic Floor Service, said she was particularly struck by “the enthusiasm and support of staff for advancing the healthcare of women in this region”.
“I’m delighted to play a small part in this,” Ms Fleming said. “This is a streamlined service, offering a significant reduction in patient episodes, as well as reducing the time from symptom development to diagnosis of faecal incontinence, which can be a very debilitating and embarrassing condition for women.”
“This is another example of the commitment of UL Hospitals Group to deliver on the advancement of treatments for women’s health conditions, which for a long time were under-served, in the Mid-West and nationally,” Ms Fleming added.
The Colorectal Pelvic Floor Clinic and Ambulatory Gynaecology Unit are located in the outpatients department at Nenagh Hospital as part of the Mid-West Regional Health Hub for Women.
Supported by the Women’s Health Taskforce and the HSE National Women’s and Infants Health Programme (NWIHP), the hub also provides a menopause clinic and subfertility service.